Secret Window
by Rid3r Chick
Summary: What happens when it all gets too much to handle? How do you cope or don't cope? Everyone needs a secret window to help them get their life back. The question is, will you take it?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me except this sorry excuse for a plot. If you see anything recognizable from the books, it's not mine!

This is my first Alex Rider story so constructive criticism is welcome. I got the inspiration to write this based from the darker Alex Rider fanfics hitting the uh, Internet waves? ( I can't say air waves.) I wanted to explore the darker side of Alex as well. This is rated T for (cough) language (Alex doesn't curse enough for me) and something else that I've been thinking about. So read it if you like or don't read it if you like.

Without further ado, I present to you the first chapter of_ Secret Window_.

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Chapter One

In the distance, Alex could hear the cacophony of sound around him. There were clinks and clanks and the inaudible hum of conversation. Everything was distorted and nothing made complete sense to him. Slowly, sound began to filter properly through his ears and foggy mind and he could make out a little of the conversation going on in what he thought was somewhere above him.

"-Stop the bleeding-"

"-Stable?... Good-"

"What is this?" a shocked voice exclaimed. "Needles?"

"Maybe he's diabetic?" replied the other person not believing their own words.

"Right. Let's put him on the stretcher. On three; one, two, three."

Alex slowly opened his eyes. Everything was hazy: the lights had halos around them and the people looked like they were lit from within. He smiled.

"Why is he smiling?" someone asked.

"Delirious or high. Pick one."

"I would be too if I had all of _that_ in me," someone mumbled.

Alex blacked out and when he opened his eyes sometime later, he saw the blurry halos of halogen lights flash overhead in a steady sequence. Sound was still being heard, but everything was at a distance. Looking around as faces flashed by, everything started to look dark as if the color was draining out of everything. He knew that feeling; he had experienced it once before right after he was shot. Knowing what that meant, he waited patiently for the end. Maybe he would get what he asked for.

In the distance and very faint, he heard someone giving orders and asking questions.

"Mr. Rider, can you hear me? Start the transfusion! The patient is going into shock!"

"Right away, Doctor!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw his mother and he softly whispered "Finally" before giving over to the darkness encroaching on his vision.

Someone- Jack?- screamed "Stay with me!" but it was so far away that it could have been his imagination.

888

Alex awoke a few hours later sore all over but he kept his eyes closed. When he finally opened his eyes, everything was blurry. Blinking them rapidly, the room he was in slowly came into focus. Panic overtook him for a second because he did not recognize his surroundings. Three years of listening to his instincts and relying on panic and adrenaline rushes were hard habits to let go of, especially when they had saved his ass more times than he could count. Taking a deep breath, he decided to assess the damage. _'Wow,' _he thought sardonically_, 'It sounds like I've just been in a fight or something.'_

He tried to move his arms only to realize that he couldn't. Looking down in the direction of where his arms were, he could see that they were tied to the rails of the bed. _'They aren't taking any chances this time.' _From what he could see, his left wrist was heavily bandaged and in the crook of his elbow, the IV needle was there. He looked at his other arm and saw, from elbow to wrist, little red pin pricks following his veins. _'No surprise there,'_ he mused.

Closing his eyes, he sighed and realized that his attempted suicide was just that, an attempt and that Jack must have found him on the bathroom floor not long after.

Lying in the hospital bed glaring at the ceiling, Alex thought of all the events that led up to that moment when he decided he couldn't take it anymore. He decided that there wasn't a single event that he could blame; they were all cause for his present state of depression. Each event had depressed the hell out of him, as well as scared him shitless, and eventually spiraled into a vortex leading him straight to hell.

Tracing the path of his veins with his eyes, he remembered thinking that turning to drugs would help him to stop thinking and create a numb place for him to hide. At one point, he got exactly what he wished for but by that time, he wanted to be numb all the time. _'All I wanted was an escape from my demons and then I turn into a drug addict.'_ Of course he knew better with all the talks at school saying how bad drugs were, but he thought it would a one time thing. _'How could I have forgotten that drugs are addictive?'_ he asked himself with a wry smile.

At that moment, the door opened and Jack Starbright walked cautiously into the room. Her bubbly personality was gone. Her vibrantly red hair was lank, dull, and all over her head from the nervous fingers she had ran constantly through it. Her clothes were rumpled and her face was tear-stained. If the situation wasn't so serious and if Alex was in the mood to talk, he would have commented on her appearance since she went to such lengths to always look good in case someone was watching. But as it were, Alex said nothing and turned his gaze back to the ceiling.

Walking over to him she asked, "Why?"

Alex had been expecting that question but instead of answering, he looked at the wall.

"Look at me, dammit!" she demanded.

Reluctantly, he looked back in her direction. He had never been able to completely not do as she asked. For some reason, he couldn't bear to hurt her but recently, he hadn't been able to care.

Jack started to pace.

"I can understand the depression. It's teenaged angst on top of all that bullshit MI6 put you through. Hell, I can even understand the experimentation with drugs, although why you of all people would do that is beyond me. But suicide, Alex?" she asked as she stopped pacing and stared at him, hard. "What the fuck where you thinking?"

Alex knew Jack. After all those years of her looking after him, he learned her mannerisms. Jack never cursed if she could help it. A random "hell" or "damn" if she burned something in the kitchen during her ten minute meals, but never just swearing like a sailor. She only did that when she was extremely pissed like she was now.

Not giving him the chance to answer, she plowed on.

"You've always been quiet, secretive even, but you've always talked to me. I might've had to beat it out of you, but you would tell me what was bothering you. I must admit, you didn't talk much after Ian died. I mean, what kid would after their uncle died? Eventually, you came around. Ever since MI6 came into the picture, you've become a stranger to me! You stay out late, sleep 'til three in the afternoon... Alex, where did I go wrong?"

She looked so helpless that Alex felt a slight pang in his heart. Whenever something didn't go right, she would always try to fix it, but this was something she couldn't fix.

"Nothing," he rasped.

"Then why do I fell as if you're pushing me away?" she asked running her hands through her hair once more.

'_Because you wouldn't know me. If you thought I was a stranger this past year, you have no idea who I am now. I hate myself and you'll hate me, too.'_

"That's right. Close up like a clam; just leave me out of the fucking loop. You know Alex, you're more like Ian than I thought."

She picked up her stuff and stalked to the door, leaving Alex with a feeling of absolute self-hatred.

'_I try to not be like the one person that turned my life upside down and I end up being just like him: a coldhearted, secretive bastard, hurting the ones I love most. Fuck.' _

Before she left for good she called over her shoulder, "Let me know when you feel like talking; otherwise, just don't bother."

She slammed the door softly behind her.

Alex stared out of the window next to his bed for a while before falling into a restless sleep.

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Like it, don't like it? Just tell me and I promise I won't get mad. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Two days later, Alex was allowed a little leeway with his arm restraints. Doctors, both medical and psychological, filtered through his room.

After thirty minutes of a one-sided conversation, they gave up and sent someone else in to talk to him. They all believed that he would try a second attempt at suicide.

On the third morning, as psychiatrist asked, "Do you even care that you tried to kill yourself?"

Tired of playing Twenty Questions, Alex decided to humor the doctor.

"I've been trying to kill myself for quite a while now. It was only recently that I got the balls to do so, doctor."

The doctor left quite suddenly after that statement with a look of pure horror on his face. Clearly, he thought Alex was a bit disturbed.

And he was. His mental health started deteriorating after his second mission. Dr. Grief had wanted to dissect him alive in front of his "children" during their biology lesson, without anesthesia. Each mission after that took its toll and after his Venetian escapades with Scorpia and his trip in space, it had taken a while for him to get back to normal, or what was close to "normal" for him.

Later on that day, Tom Harris visited.

He knocked softly on the door before walking in. Alex had overheard the nurses talking and they had said that Tom was with Jack when he was brought in.

"Hey, man. How are you?" he asked, quickly regretting his inquiry.

"Fine."

Alex watched as Tom fumbled around for words with a small amused smile. After all, what can you say to your friend after they tried to commit suicide? "It's a good thing you're not dead?" "Welcome back?" Alex didn't think so.

Tom sat on the edge of the chair close to the bed. Alex watched the display of emotions on his face until Tom settled on one of them: anger.

"That was real selfish, Rider. Did you stop to think what it would do to me? Hell, to Jack? That woman has been through more shit than anyone because of you and then you go and do that to her. Real smart."

"It was my choice, Tom."

"Well, it was the selfish choice of a coward."

"It was what I wanted," Alex said sitting up. "For the past four years, other people have been running my life: Jack, MI6, Ian ,teachers... For once, I wanted a say in what I do-"

"But suicide, Rider?"

"What's your point, Tom?"

"If you wanted to _do _something for yourself, why didn't you get a tattoo or lose your virginity or something? Sneak into a club and drink until you're pissed. That's living life according to your rules."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Help me to understand. Alex, I'm your best friend; you are supposed to tell me things no matter how stupid or serious they are!" Tom stood up to pace, shaking his head. "Jack called me in hysterics the other day wondering where you were. Do you know how I felt not being to help her out?" Tom waited for Alex to say something but all he did was shrug. "I felt like shit. What kind of friend doesn't know that his best friend is a drug addict? Apparently me. I swear, when I met Jack at your house and when we found you barely breathing on the bathroom floor, I thought she would die from a heart attack. I was the one to call the emergency number because she was frozen in shock."

Alex followed Tom with his eyes as he walked to the door.

"I love you like a brother, man, but damn, you need help."

Alex watched as his best friend walked out of his room.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone that reviewed chapter two. Personally, I feel that the last chapter as well as this one are fillers, but every story needs them. Here's chapter three and the same disclaimer from chapter one still applies.

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Chapter Three 

A surprise greeted Alex when he awoke the next morning. Jack, still looking dishelved, was standing at the foot of his bed glaring at Mrs. Jones, head of the Special Operations division of MI6, and for once, Jack wasn't spitting barbs at the woman.

"What do you want?" Alex asked harshly. This woman, wearing an impeccable gray pant suit, was part of the reason for his depression.

"To help of course. We take the well being of our agents very seriously," she said, munching on a peppermint, as always.

"Hypocrite," he hissed.

Whether or not she heard, Mrs. Jones looked around the room with a frown.

"I'm afraid that St. Dominick's, as nice as it is, is not fully equipped to handle a patient as," she groped for a word until she settled with, "fragile as you are so, we've decided to relocate you to a better facility in the States."

Alex just stared at her. _'When will it stop? When will they stop running my life? When can I finally exert some control over my own fucking life?'_ he wondered.

Sitting up in bed he replied, "You're not serious."

"Yes, we are quite serious. Alan and I have had this discussion countless times and it is time to step in. We want you to get better," she said gesturing between her and Jack. "Besides, it wouldn't look good for the agency if we didn't look after the well being of our agents."

Jack had specifically asked Mrs. Jones if she would purposely say that to see if it would get a rise out of Alex. She thought if the whole fact that MI6 was "stepping in" wouldn't do it then Alex being referred to as an "agent" would. She was hopelessly disappointed. She watched as what little light there was in his eyes die out as he slumped against his pillows. It shook her to her core. _'What has happened to you, Alex?'_

888

A few days later, Alex found himself sitting in a plane with his left arm chained to the arm of the chair. Jack had tried to start some conversation but he refused to say anything because he thought of her as a traitor.

"Alex this is for your own good. You may not know it yet, but I do. I love you, Rider. Always remember that," she said before she stopped talking to him and redirected her attention to the person sitting across the aisle from her.

Before they had left the hospital, Tom had called wishing him luck.

"Dude, I wish I could come with you, but my mom is totally stressed out and with the divorce being finalized... it's just not the right time. If I can, I'll try to see you at Thanksgiving, okay?"

Alex said nothing.

"Just hang in there."

Alex sighed at the memory and closed his eyes just as the plane took off. Looking out of the window, he watched as Heathrow International Airport shrink in the distance as the plan carried him away to a new life and prison...

Hours later, they landed at JFK International Airport in New York City and were met by a nurse from the ORC, the Ostenburg Rehabilitation Center. The nurse gave Jack an appreciative glance but as his gaze traveled to Alex, a stern look passed over his features.

"Miss Starbright?" he inquired.

Jack nodded and increased the grip she had on Alex's arm.

"This way," he said grabbing hold of the big duffle bag Jack was holding and leading the way to the parking lot.

Once they got to the parking lot, the nurse led them to a big, black, fifteen passenger van with ORC painted on it in white letters. He helped Alex to get in first so he could chain him, once again, to the arm of the seat before helping Jack get into the passenger seat.

On the short ride to the center, jet lag hit Alex like a ton of bricks and he was out before he knew it. He was roughly woken up by the nurse as he grabbed his chained arm and unlocked the cuff. Alex got out of the van and stared.

The Ostenburg Rehabilitation Center was gorgeous. Whoever designed the building had a love for contemporary architecture. For a moment, Alex wondered why a place that clearly should have been a library or museum would be the home of crazy people.

He was taken out of his musings by the nurse who took a hold of his upper arm and towed him through the entrance. Jack was already inside talking to the receptionist.

"Okay. Everything seems to be in order. Dr. Carter will be down in a moment. Please have a seat."

Jack thanked the woman and sat down heavily next to Alex, who was trying to get out of the death grip the nurse had on his arm.

"Not so fast," the man growled. He almost sounded a bit like Wolf, Alex's leader of K Unit when he trained with the SAS in Wales.

"Maybe if you let up on my arm, I might be able to feel it."

The nurse looked down and sure enough, Alex's hand was starting to turn colors. Before the nurse could reply with the caustic remark on the tip of his tongue, a doctor walked out of a door and over to them.

"Are you Jack Starbright?" he asked in a deep voice tinged with fatigue.

"Yes. Yes, I am," Jack managed to get out around a yawn.

"This will be quick. I know you are both tired without the jet lag, but Miss Starbright, I have a few things to ask you. Thomas, would you take Mr. Rider up to room 1007?"

The nurse, Thomas, stood up and dragged Alex to the nearest elevator. When the door closed, Alex closed his eyes. In what seemed like no time, the doors opened again to reveal a hallway painted sky blue. Thomas propelled him down the hall to the last door. Not giving up on his hold on Alex, he knocked on the door with his right hand.

A second later, the door opened to reveal a girl wearing sweatpants and a tank top. From what Alex could see of the girl from behind Thomas was that she was not very tall. She had wavy light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a skin tone that hinted at mixed parentage.

"Hi, Thomas," she said with a smile.

"Hey, Katie. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Is that my new roommate standing behind you?"

Thomas moved aside so Katie could see Alex better. She studied him for a second before moving aside, giving him room to enter.

"Are you good to go?" Thomas asked with a strange hint of concern in his voice.

"Yep."

Thomas finally let go of his arm and allowed Alex to walk into the room but not without giving him a stern glare.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm soooo sorry! I haven't updated in God knows how long. School. It's been school's fault and the fact that i had the freaking flu. Sorry for the wait. I hope this makes up for it. Well, this and another chapter. How does that sound to you? 

Chapter Four

Katie's room was set up like a hospital room, only bigger. Her bed was along one wall with a desk at the foot of it with Alex's bed and desk being along the other wall with a large window in the middle. Her side of the room was filled with her stuff. His side was empty, just like him.

The whole time Alex was looking around, Katie sat on her bed observing him. Deciding that it was time to alert him to her presence, she cleared her throat.

Alex turned around, waiting for the lecture he knew he was going to get.

"I know that your side of the room is bare, but within a few weeks, depending on your behavior, you can decorate it any way you like."

Her words sent a cold shiver down his spine because they eerily paralleled the same words James Sprintz had said to him in the French Alps a few years ago. For the moment, Alex felt like he was back in his study at the Academy of Point Blanc.

_According to James, the study-bedrooms were the only part of the school the boys where allowed to decorate themselves. They could choose their own bedspreads and cover the walls with their own posters._

"_They say it's important that you express yourself," James had said. "If you haven't brought anything with you, Miss Stomach-bag will take you into Grenoble..."_

Katie realized that her words were having a bad affect on her new roommate. She got up from her perch on her bed and walked over to him. She could tell that he was extremely tense. Reaching out a hand, she gently touched his shoulder, which was about a good eight inches higher than her head. As soon as she touched him, she found herself pinned to the wall.

Alex glared at Katie. He could tell she wasn't scared, just shocked. He was shocked at himself too. He had never done anything like that in before his life, but he pinned his superb reaction time to all of his training with Ian and everything MI6 put him through. Letting go of her, he stepped back, irritable that everything that he looked at in the room reminded him of Point Blanc.

"Are you okay?" she asked finally breaking the silence.

"I'm fine, just don't ever touch me again," he said.

Deciding that he needed air, he walked around her and out of the door.

888

Alex sneaked down the hall, avoiding nurses and doctors, looking for a quiet place to sit. He walked past a glass wall, and then he saw it.

It was a balcony that overlooked the New York City skyline. He saw a bench in the middle of the space, but he decided to perch on the edge of the wall so he could look down and experience an adrenaline rush that would clear his mind. He just sat there in silence, looking but not seeing the city below him.

An hour or so later, it started to rain. Lifting his face to the downpour, he willed the rain drops to wash away his problems, leaving him the way he was four years ago, with little or no worries and when stress was just a word he referred to when Maths was kicking his ass.

He sat in the rain and tried to relax, but the attempt was futile seeing as he was sitting on the edge of a building. The irony of the situation almost brought a smile to his lips, but then he remembered being on top of a helicopter pad overlooking London with Herod Sayle and the almost smile vanished.

It was almost dawn when he decided to leave the balcony. By that time, he was exhausted and that would ensure him a dreamless sleep.

He stumbled into the room and saw Katie sleeping on her side of the room and Jack on his side. She was restlessly pacing from his desk to the window and back. Closing the door, he walked over to his bed, unzipped his duffle bag and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a Chelsea jersey. He proceeded to strip off his wet clothes knowing that whatever Jack wanted to say was going to come out eventually.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

"Around," he said shrugging off his wet shirt and letting it plop on the floor.

"'Around?' Is that all you can say after disappearing for a few hours!"

Alex put on the sweatpants and sat down on the edge of the bed to watch Jack pace. Suddenly, she stopped pacing and reached down to pick up his wet shirt.

"Why is this wet? Did you leave?" she asked in accusation.

"No."

"Then why is it wet?"

Standing up, Alex snapped. He was tired of everyone asking him questions. When the questions needed to be asked, no one gave a damn.

"I was on the fucking balcony! I needed to stop thinking for a while. This room was bringing back way too many memories of the time I spent with a fucking lunatic in the French Alps. I would like to keep those memories buried, but I know I won't be able to leave this hell hole. Did I answer your question satisfactorily enough for you, Jack?"

Still angry and hurt, Jack plowed on. "Why did you need to stop thinking? Was it to stop suicidal thoughts from crowding around in your head?"

The minute she said that, she immediately regretted it.

"Alex, I..."

"You're what, Jack? Sorry? Don't be. At least now I know that you think of me as some suicidal maniac. Thanks a whole bunch. Now I feel so warm and fuzzy."

His sarcasm at her remark was slowly killing her and because he was so angry, he didn't see that she started crying.

"I didn't mean it," she sobbed.

"Of course you did. No one ever says something they didn't mean. Freud explained it all. That statement was subconsciously buried among every other thought in your head. It was going to slip out sooner or later," he sneered.

"Alex..."

"Leave."

"But, Alex..."

"Leave!"

Jack took a shuddering breath as she looked at him. She had never seen him so angry and hurt in his life. Grabbing her purse and overnight bag, she quickly walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Alex heard Katie shift in her bed and knew she wasn't asleep and that she saw and heard everything.

Katie turned on the lamp next to her bed and sat up.

"That was cruel."

"Well, the world is a cruel place. She'll live; I did."

"All she wants is for you to get better. You didn't see her face when she walked in and didn't see you. She looked as if someone had ripped her heart out of her chest," Katie said getting out of bed and walking over to him. 

Once she was in front of him, she glared. "Don't you want to get better?"

Alex answered her by stepping around her and pulling back the covers on his bed.

Katie looked at him incredulously.

"You are so lucky that you have someone like her that actually gives a damn about you. Do you know how much I would give to have someone like that in my life?"

"I don't know but you'll probably just tell me anyways."

Instead of answering her own question, Katie stormed across the room and got back in bed.

"It burns me up inside how people that seem to have it all throw it away for some cheap thrill. Did you try to commit suicide because she was not giving you enough attention? It seems to me that she dotes on you..."

"That's none of your fucking business!"

"It seems like I've hit a nerve," she mused in mock thought.

"Listen up: I don't know you and you don't know me so don't act like you do."

"One of these days, you are going to have to get to know someone because they don't give up here. They will push you to the brink of committing suicide and strap you to the bed so you can't. I may not know you, but you seem like a pretty determined person. They will break you. I was determined too and look at me: I'm here aren't I?"

Katie turned off the lamp leaving Alex alone with his thoughts in the dark room.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry guys. This is a filler chapter, but it sort of sets the stage for what's to come. After this, everything starts to happen a little fast so be warned.

* * *

Chapter Five

The staff at the ORC didn't give their patients much time to settle in. The very next morning, Alex was woken up by a motherly nurse.

"Good morning, Mr. Rider," she said as she opened the blinds.

Alex thought it was weird hearing his name in American accented English. He glanced over at the clock on Katie's nightstand and swore. It was 8am and he had gotten to sleep around 4:30.

"Wake up, lazy bones. It's time to start the day. Ms. Katie is already out and about this morning."

Alex sat up slowly, blinking in the sunlight.

"That's better, dear. I'm Mrs. Klein and I'll be your morning nurse. The shower is through that door and down the hall to your left. Can't miss it; the sign is huge. There are fresh towels waiting for you. Breakfast is being served from 8:30 until 9:30."

Without further ado, she walked out of the room.

Alex got out of bed, grabbed his toiletries and shuffled to the bathroom. Nurse Klein was right, the bathroom wasn't hard to miss; the sign was enormous. Feeling stupid for staring at the sign, he quickly made his way into the men's side.

The men's side was like any shower room in every gym. Placing his clothes and bag on a stool, he stepped into a stall and turned on the water as hot as he could take it.

The scalding water kept him busy with trying not to stand in one spot for too long. It also helped him not to think about the conversation he had with Katie last night, because he knew she was right.

Stepping out of the shower dripping wet, he dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist to finish with his morning routine. He had just walked in front of the mirror when someone walked in.

Alex spared the man a look and continued brushing his teeth. The man walked around in what looked like a daze to Alex.

"This morning is full of cocker spaniels. I see them everywhere. You," he mumbled pointing to Alex, "have cocker spaniels all over you. They are really pretty..."

Alex shook his head. He finished brushing his teeth and put some clothes on. Before he left the bathroom, he removed the bandage from his wrist; it was no good seeing as it was damp. The skin on the inside of his wrist was an angry red, but it was starting to heal. _'Just another scar to add to my collection,'_ he thought.

When he got back to his room, Katie was sitting in the middle of the floor doing Pilates. Looking at her, Alex didn't see a trace of the angry girl he saw last night, just a girl at peace. Caught up in his musings, he didn't notice her staring up at him.

"Got something to say?" she asked shaking him out of LaLa Land.

"Nope," he said as he edged around her mat. With his back to her, he made up his bed. Behind him, he heard Katie getting up from her position on the floor.

"Um, will you blow up at me if I tell you something?" she asked.

"I'll try not to, but I'm not making any promises," he said turning around.

"That woman, Jack, she called. I, uh, took a message. Do you want it?"

Shrugging, he said, "Sure."

"She said, 'They have set me up in a place in the Village. I'm fine and I'll call you later.'" Katie waited a moment before adding, "You can have the room to yourself. I'm going down to breakfast. I'll be back around 10."

Alex was puzzled. Why was she telling him that? He didn't have to wait long for the answer to that question. Not long after she left, there was a knock on the door and the doctor from the day before walked in.

"Good morning, Alex. Did you get a good rest?"

Alex just gave him a tired look, hoping that would stave off the rest of the doctor's questions.

"Well, I didn't get a chance to introduce myself to you yesterday. I'm Doctor Gabriel Carter and I'll be your psychiatrist while you're here. Do you mind if I sit down?" he asked motioning to the chair.

Alex didn't say anything so Dr. Carter sat down.

"Well, Alex, I reviewed your file and I must say that it is pretty awesome. A British teen spy! And at fourteen, no less. I was pretty upset that your, er, employers did not think to have you visit a psychiatrist before now. But before we get into the heavy stuff, I would like to get to know you better."

"Did you talk to Jack yesterday?"

"Yes, I did."

"Did she tell you anything about me?"

"Quite a lot, actually. She told me your dislikes and hobbies, which are quite interesting in and of themselves. Is there anything else you would like to add to that list?" Dr. Carter asked hoping for conversation.

"I think that's about it, Doctor."

Dr. Carter seemed to catch the hint that Alex wasn't going to say anything else. He packed his notes away, stood up and made his way to the door.

Before he left he said, "I hope you can come to see me as a friend, Alex. All I want to do is help you. If you're interested, there will be a group session in the conference room tonight. If you ask Katie, she can show you the way."

After the doctor left, Alex went about putting away his stuff. He spent the rest of the morning looking out of the window. It wasn't long before Katie came back.

"You knew he was coming."

"I sure did and if I told you, you would have left. Remember what I said last night? This is only step one: extending the invitation. Sooner or later, they will get you to talk."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Alex soon found a daily routine at the ORC. He would be woken up my Mrs. Klein, take a shower, make his bed, get a little to eat, be bombarded with questions by Dr. Carter and everyone else on his floor, avoid twenty questions and wisdom sessions with Katie, visit the balcony, and eventually falling asleep and dreaming.

The first few weeks were pure torture. He couldn't go anywhere without someone, mainly Thomas, shadowing his every step. He had more freedom back in Chelsea, even with Jack asking twenty thousand questions every time she saw him. Every where he turned, Thomas was there. If he wasn't being shadowed by Thomas, he saw Carter with that same sick smile on his face. Alex didn't give a damn what Katie said about them breaking him; he was not going to talk. Eventually, he stopped leaving his room and if he did venture out into the blue hallway, it was because he absolutely had to or he needed to visit the balcony.

Four weeks later, the pressure Carter was putting on him to talk was reaching an all time high to the point where Alex had a migraine after each session he was forced to go to. It seemed that Carter wanted him to get angry so he would talk and he kept on bringing MI6 up, but most of the barbs Carter threw his way fell on deaf ears. Alex had learned a long time ago how to tune people out. While he was tuning out Carter, he wondered how Carter had gotten the classified details of his missions.

It was after such a session that Alex found himself irritable beyond all reason. Carter managed to bring up Ash and his part in his parents' death. His head was pounding and everything seemed to be extra loud. He wished there was something he could do to take the edge off, but he had distanced himself from drugs, the friendly and unfriendly sort.

Just then, Katie walked into the room singing some song or another. It seemed like she was always singing something. Noticing that he was in the room she stopped.

"How was your session?" she asked.

Alex closed his eyes at the question. Everyone seemed to want to know how his sessions were: Mrs. Klein, the other patients, and now Katie.

"Peachy," he said in a tight voice hoping to stall her questions.

"That's nice," she said, either not noticing his tone or conveniently choosing not to notice. "Well, my session was pretty good, too and..."

"I don't care, Katie!" he snapped.

"Well, that's the understatement of the year. Alex Rider doesn't care! Ladies and gents, I present the most unfeeling bastard in the whole fucking universe. Would you care if my name was Maria?"

"What did you say?" he asked.

"I said, would you care if my name was Maria?" she repeated slowly.

"How do you know about her?" he asked, the color draining from his face.

"I listen when no one is around. You talk about her all the time. Who is she, your girlfriend?"

"No," he whispered as Maria's face swam in his memories. He could see the way the sunlight bounced off of her dark hair. He remembered all of the pictures she colored for him and how her dimpled smile brightened up the space around her.

"Did she decide that she couldn't take your secrets anymore? Did she leave you too?"

"She's dead," he said in a cold, flat voice remembering the night that everything went to hell.

Katie took a step back at the ice in his voice and another at the look in his eyes.

"She's dead because I killed her. Do you want to know how?" he asked finally glad to tell someone, but terrified at how the conversation got started.

"No," Katie whispered, afraid that she went too far. That had always been her problem: she never knew when to quit when she was ahead.

"Look at that. Katie is speechless. I guess it never crossed your mind that your roommate is a murderer, huh?" he said with a humorless chuckle.

By that time Katie had backed up into a corner with no where to go.

"What else do you want to know now that you've got me talking? Do you want to know how I felt when I saw the light leave her eyes or the way I felt when she told me she loved me?"

Alex's voice cracked on the last two words and the tears he had been trying to hold back finally escaped.

What Katie thought was anger in his eyes was actually anguish. Whatever event led up to Maria's death was slowly killing him. With that knowledge, she was able to take a step towards him.

Alex saw the pity in Katie's eyes and he turned away from her. He could understand if she thought he was repulsive but he wasn't prepared for the pity. Alex sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands.

Katie stared at him. This was not the Alex that she knew. The Alex she knew was a fast talking, uncaring bastard with a cute smile, when he managed to smile. This Alex was a tortured soul with no way out. Without another moment of thought, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He tried to pull away but she hung on to him. After he realized she wasn't going anywhere, he held on to her as if she was his last anchor to his sanity.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered.

"How is it going to be okay? It's my fault she's dead. If I hadn't blown my cover, she'd still be here," he sobbed.

"Shh. I'm here," she whispered as silent tears ran down her face as he cried.

888

Some time later, Alex had finally calmed down but he still hadn't let Katie go. They were lying on his bed and he had his head resting on her stomach.

"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I was just frustrated..."

"I know. I've been told that I can be quite mean when I get in the mood," he mumbled.

There was silence. Alex felt somewhat comforted being in Katie's presence now that one of his secrets was out.

"Who was she?"

Katie felt Alex stiffen at her question and for a second, she thought he wasn't going to answer.

"Maria was a little girl I met when I was in Mexico. You remember that conversation I had with Jack my first night here, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember what I said about the French Alps?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I wasn't in the French Alps by choice. I was sent there by the British secret service, MI6. I was a teenage James Bond. Well, a few months ago, they sent me to Mexico to find out about a group of criminals that were selling people into slavery or prostitution. I was supposed to be interested in getting a few girls to be sent to England under the pretense of selling them to well do to British citizens. The man in charge of the whole operation took a liking to me right at the start so he gave me a condo in Mexico City and a 'maid'."

Katie could here quotations around "maid." "That maid was Maria, right?"

"Yeah. Marcus told me that Maria was there to do _anything_ that I needed. I was confused for a moment but then understanding hit me like a ton of bricks. He was grooming her to eventually become a prostitute. Katie, she was seven. She could have been someone's sister or cousin or something. Oh, Katie, if you could have met her, you would have loved her. She was so funny and loving, it just made me sick that her life was going to turn out so horribly. I made a decision that when I returned home, I was going to take her with me. It didn't matter that I was only seventeen; I was going to take her with me."

Alex took a deep breath and brought a hand up to his eyes.

"Someone found out about me and everything turned upside down really fast. I was caught and jailed. I could handle the abuse; I'd been tied up and threatened many times before but I couldn't bear to see them hurt her. I had been undercover for about three months, the longest time I've ever been undercover. One day, they forced me to watch one of the men rape her. I pleaded for them to let her go. I promised to tell them whatever they wanted to know. Katie, the whole time he was messing with her, she was looking at me, wondering why I wasn't doing anything because I had promised to watch out for her."

Katie felt something wet soak through her shirt and she looked down to find Alex crying again.

"When he was done, there was blood everywhere. They let her go and she limped over to me. I promised her empty promises but I think she knew. She had had seven years of living as a waif to know when someone was lying to her. Later on that night, someone set fire to where we were. I told her to stay close, but she heard the screams of the other girls in the next room. I took my eyes off of her for a brief second and she was gone. I tried to look for her but I had to help the others get out. The building we were in was an old wooden shed that was so dry; it was covered in flames in no time."

Alex sat up and shook his head to get rid of the vision of the burning building.

"Some how, the Mexican police and the agents MI6 sent as back up where there but Marcus wasn't going to go down without a fight. He started firing at the women and at the approaching cavalry. I figured that I could look for Maria now that I had help. I found Maria and the bastard that had taken her virginity. He was back for more and, I don't know, I saw red. The next thing I know, the guy had a handle sticking out of his chest. I killed him. I was in a daze. All I could see was the circle of blood expanding in every direction as well as the blood on my hands. There was a cough behind me and when I turned around, Maria was choking on her own blood.

"Before she died, she smiled up at me. She said, 'I didn't have the chance to give you your picture.' She reached into her pocket and took out a rumpled and blood stained picture of me with wings. She thought I was her angel. Katie, my heart broke. With her last breath, she told me that she loved me."

He looked up at Katie with watery eyes.

"I killed her."

Katie placed a hand on either side of his face and looked into his eyes.

"You did not. You tried to give her a better life. She was lucky to have known you. You probably made her life so much better, even for that short period of time..."

"But it was because she knew me that she died!"

"Alex, stop blaming yourself. You did not kill her. That bastard did. You wanted to give her a new life and _he _stopped her from having that new life. Come here," she said as she enveloped him into another hug.

"From what you've said of her, I don't think Maria would want you beating yourself up over this. I think she would want you to live your life in her memory."

Alex just sniffled and buried his face in her neck.

Running her fingers through his hair, Katie began to sing:

_You're just too good to be true._

_Can't take my eyes off you._

_You'd be like heaven to touch. I wanna_

_Hold you so much. At long last love has _

_Arrived. And I thank God I'm alive. You're_

_Just too good to be true. Can't take my_

_Eyes off you._

_I need you baby, and if it's quite all right,_

_I need you baby to warm a lonely night. I love_

_You baby. Trust in me when I say: Oh pretty_

_Baby, don't bring me down I pray. Oh pretty_

_Baby, now that I found you, stay. And let me_

_Love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby..._

Alex fell asleep and for the first time in a long time, he didn't dream.


	7. Chapter 7

So sorry! I had soooo much stuff to do last week that it wasn't funny. With senior year almost finished, our teachers have been relentless with the freaking projects, test, and homework. Hey, we have a life too! Enough with the ranting and raving already. I would just like to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, and adding my story to their favorites/story alerts. You have no idea how happy that makes me. I, for one, is a huge Alex Rider fan and having readers, such as yourselves, like what I right just gives me the warm fuzzies. (Sigh) Anyways, here is the long awaited chapter seven. I hope you like it, especially after that huge bombshell that was released last chapter, even though, personally, I loved the ending. It was sweet. Enough talking on my part, and not enough reading on your part, well, not the important parts. Happy Reading fans! R.C.

* * *

Chapter Seven

Alex woke up well rested for the first time in a long time the next morning but he couldn't feel his arm. It didn't take him long to figure out why: Katie was sleeping on it. _'Why is she sleeping in my bed?'_ he wondered. He went over his last memories of the night before and then he remembered: he told her about Maria. Before his thoughts could wonder to how she would think of him, the door opened and Mrs. Klein walked in.

"Oh, dear!" she exclaimed.

"Mrs. Klein, this isn't what it looks like," he said trying to sit up.

Mrs. Klein's shriek woke Katie up. She arched her back off of the bed. She rolled over and opened her eyes to find Mrs. Klein's scandalized face.

"Good morning, Mrs. Klein. Just a little midnight bonding between roommates," she said as she untangled her limbs from Alex's and got out of the bed. Grabbing her shower stuff, she proceeded to walk to the door. "Don't worry; nothing happened."

Mrs. Klein and Alex both stared after her, Mrs. Klein in horror and Alex in amused embarrassment. When Mrs. Klein turned around to look at him, Alex was halfway out of the door.

"Kids!" she breathed walking out of the room behind him.

All during his shower, Alex wondered about Katie and what she thought of him. Alex was never the type of guy to worry about what others thought of him because he had learned to accept that his peers thought he was weird. But Katie was different. She wasn't exactly a friend, but she wasn't a stranger either. The more he thought about it, the more puzzled he got. Why did he spill his guts to Katie when he didn't even know who she was, and more importantly, not a trained psychiatrist? Determined to get some answers, he got out of the shower. While he was drying off, the man he called "Cocker Spaniel Man," although his name was Rudy, waltzed into the bathroom spewing his spiel about cocker spaniels. As usual, Alex ignored the man while he brushed his teeth.

"You look different, my boy," the man said.

Deciding to humor the man, Alex answered.

"Really? How can you tell?"

"You've got this glow to you. You finally took my advice; you talked to your cocker spaniel."

"My who?"

"Your cocker spaniel. They are always there for you. You just have to ask them to talk to you. Good day."

Alex watched as the man walked to the last stall and stepped in fully clothed. Shaking his head, he exited the bathroom. He walked back to his room, deposited his stuff, and went to breakfast.

He sat down at a table to wait as the early breakfast rush died down. He was sort of put out by the fact that Katie wasn't there already. He was thinking about returning to his room when someone sat down next to him.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Alex chanced a look at Katie. She didn't look any different but there was something there, perhaps a slump to her shoulders or the way she wouldn't look directly at him.

"Um, Katie?" he asked glancing in her direction.

"Yeah?" she said, finally looking up at him.

"About last night and what I said. Did, did that change anything between us? I mean to you, oh I don't know, hate me or something?"

Katie looked at him for a moment, raking her gaze over his face before replying.

"No, I don't hate you," she said slowly.

Alex let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"But, that was a lot to digest at once, you know?" she said running her fingers through her hair. "I stayed up thinking after you fell asleep. You said a lot last night and it really took a lot out of you, especially since you've been holding it in all this time. I came to the conclusion that you are a pretty strong person, emotionally. I don't think that I could've held all that in for four years." She shook her head and sighed. A look passed over her features before it was gone.

"So, what does that mean? Do we pretend this never happened, or can we start off where we finished?"

"I could never pretend that last night never happened, but I'm glad it did. Alex, that secret was killing you slowly. Over the last three weeks, I've been watching you when you thought I wasn't looking. You looked lost and weighed down by some invisible load. Now, you're different. I saw you come in and you looked somewhat at peace but you had, like, a million questions buzzing around in your head."

"I do and if you don't mind me saying, they're mostly about you."

"That's understandable. I've been asking you twenty questions but haven't answered any myself, huh?"

"Pretty much." Alex paused for a moment gathering his thoughts. "So, are you up for playing twenty questions?"

"Yeah. How about we eat then talk?"

"Good idea; I'm starving."

888

They entered the room and sat down, Katie on her bed and Alex straddling his chair.

"Where do we start?" Katie asked.

"At the beginning: what's your name?"

Katie laughed. "Wow. That's really at the beginning."

Alex smiled a little.

"Okay. My name is Katherine Marie Calloway. I was born November 5, 1989 here in New York. My parents are Mariah and Travis Calloway. I have one sister named Natasha that's 25 and lives out in LA. What about you?"

"Alex John Rider. I was born February 3, 1989 in London. Both of my parents died when I was a few months old. I lived with my uncle, Ian, until he died about four years ago. Jack moved in when I was five; she was a housekeeper that turned into my best friend and a sister. I have no siblings."

The first introduction was always the hardest, but as they moved on to hobbies and other interests they had, it wasn't so bad. They actually found out that they had quite a lot in common.

Later on that night as they were lying in bed, Alex voiced a question that had been nagging him all day.

"Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind if we had more conversations about my past? You know, my spy days?"

"Wouldn't you want to tell Carter?"

Rolling over to his side he said, "I don't think I can tell him just yet. Do you think you're up for it?"

"Yeah, I am. Besides, what are friends for?"


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys! I'm back after what seems like forever. I've had computer problems and graduation with little time for anything. This chapter seems like a filler but I hope you like it anyways.

* * *

Chapter Eight

The next few weeks weren't as bad as Alex thought. Katie introduced him to everyone on their floor and even brought him to a few group meetings, where he watched and didn't participate. They talked more about his past. Alex wondered why they only talked about his past and Katie never said anything about hers, but he guessed that she would talk when she was ready.

One night they were just hanging out listening to Katie's music when she decided to break their comfortable silence.

"Hey, Alex?"

"Hmm?" he asked not looking up from his sketch pad.

"I have a confession to make."

Alex glanced at her and saw how the confession was weighing on her conscience. Putting down his sketch pad, he gave her his full attention.

"What is it?"

"You remember that shouting match you had with Jack?" she asked hesitantly.

Rolling his eyes, Alex gave her a smirk.

"How could I forget, Katie?"

Fidgeting, she continued. "Well, she called the day after and I was here and I answered the phone. She, uh, asked me how you were and I said you were, um, still stressed and stuff."

"What are you saying, Katie?"

"Ever since then, I've been talking to her almost every other day. She wants to see you."

Katie dared to glance at his face, which was quite pale.

"I didn't tell her anything. I told her she would have to talk to you. I promise, I didn't say anything."

Alex stared at the space between them in silence. He wasn't angry at her confession; he actually appreciated the fact that she felt that she needed to keep in touch with Jack for him when he was too stupid to do so. It was in that moment when he realized what Jack meant about him getting better.

"Thank you, Katie."

Katie looked up, surprised. "You're not mad that I was talking to her behind your back?"

"Nope."

"Who are you and what have you done with my roommate?" she asked, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"Well, I happen to be Alex and I think you are to credit with the task of finding me. You know," he said thoughtfully, "you're my secret window."

"What?" she asked, obviously confused.

"You're my secret window," he repeated.

"How so?"

"Well, if it wasn't for you, I would probably still be wallowing in self-pity."

"More like being sulking and bitching at everyone around you. I seriously thought you had a bad case of male PMS," she said.

"Whatever," he said with a smile. "You, my friend, saw past my bullshit and helped me to over come all the pain by talking. Secret window."

Alex didn't have time to blink. Katie threw her arms around him with such a force that her momentum knocked them both over.

"What's that for?" he asked bewildered staring up at her from his position on the floor.

"For you being a great friend and knowing exactly what to say to make a girl's heart melt," she said suspending herself over him.

"Well, I was a ladies' man," he said, which earned him a smack upside the head.

"Oh, please, Rider. The only girl in your fantasy has been Sabina and I think she'll be the only girl of your fantasy if you don't get out of here."

"Oh, I'm getting out of here, alright."

"That's what I want to hear. Now come on, there's a yoga instructor here that I want to check out."

Katie clambered off of him and gathered her stuff off the floor.

"Aw, Katie. You know I don't do yoga."

"You will if I have anything to say about it. I've got my secret weapon."

Alex smiled and complied. _'The things I do for friends,' _he thought.

888

When Alex got back from Katie's yoga class all stretched out and tired, he picked up the phone for a much needed conversation. As he sat there listening to the phone rang, he wondered what he would say to her but then he remembered his first conversation with Katie and look how that turned out.

"Hello?"

Her voice sounded happy but still heavy. For a moment, Alex wondered if he would chicken out and hang up.

"Hello?" she asked again, wary.

"Hi, Jack."

"Alex?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Alex!"

"I tend to have that affect," he said, trying to joke.

"Is everything okay? Is something the matter? Do you need anything?" she rambled.

"No, Jack. I'm fine, everything's good." He paused, mentally steeling himself for the next part of his statement. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I'm calling because we need to talk. I can't tell you everything because I'm still trying to figure it out for myself, but I can tell you what I can."

He stopped to see if she was going to say something but it was silent on her end.

"Jack?"

"I'm still here. I just... never mind. You were saying?"

"When can you come over? I don't really want to talk about this over the phone."

"Yeah, yeah. Um, face to face. I can come the day after tomorrow around lunch."

"Lunch it is," he agreed.

"Okay," she said, sounding relieved.

"Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"It was nice talking to you."

"You too, love. You too."

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Drop me a line either way. Peace!


	9. Chapter 9

Update number two! Whoo hoo! Call me butter 'cuz I'm on a roll! LOL. I know that was cheesy. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Nine

The next day, Carter came for a visit.

"Mr. Rider."

"Dr. Carter. What can I do for you?"

Carter looked shocked at Alex's change in demeanor.

"Why the sudden change in attitude?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that it was that sudden, but a few things have changed."

"Okay, if you say so. I need to talk to you." He waited for Alex to sit down before continued. "Well, our sessions haven't shown much progress but you've obviously been talking to someone, right?"

"I've been talking to Katie, if that's what you mean."

"May I ask why you've chosen to talk to her instead of me?"

"If I can be frank, she doesn't judge me," he said.

Alex glanced up and saw confusion cloud the doctor's face. Grinning, he clarified.

"Carter, you're a doctor and doctors judge their patients based on their file. You knew what I was in for and that knowledge automatically gave me a label. I hate labels; I've been labeled so much in my past that..." he stopped to shudder, "it just irks me. Katie didn't know about me. She just knew I was here because I needed help and she listened without bias."

"I see," Carter said getting to his feet. "When do you feel you will be able to talk to me?"

"After I see Jack."

"She's coming?"

"Yes. I spoke to her the other day; she's coming tomorrow if you want to speak with her."

"Yes, that would be great. I'll stop by during lunch."

Alex watched as Carter made his way to the door. He was almost out of it before he doubled back and stuck his head around the door.

"It's good to see that you're coming around. Katie is a great influence and you're lucky she's your roommate."

After dinner, Alex was sitting on the balcony looking out over the city. He could feel the change in seasons by the brisk wind blowing in his face. Wrapping his hoodie tighter around his body, he thought about the changes he saw in himself. A few months ago, he was miserable. Nothing had made him happy, not even football and that was his favorite sport. Looking back, he realized that he really had been stressing Jack out. She didn't go out or talk as much. He sat outside a little while longer before returning back to his room.

When he entered the room, Katie was in her bed with her back to him. Trying to be quiet, which he really didn't need to do since he was naturally a quiet walker, he walked over to his side to get ready for bed.

"Did you have a nice thinking time?" she asked in a croak as she rolled over to face him.

Without looking in her direction he replied, "Yep. It's getting cold out there."

"That's good."

Perplexed that she didn't ask another question, he looked at her and noticed that her face was red and puffy.

"Katie, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just tired," she said avoiding the question.

"You know you can talk to me right?" he said.

Katie opened her eyes and looked at him. With a sad smile she replied, "I know."

Thinking that she'd spill whenever she felt like it, Alex buried himself under the covers and fell promptly asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Alex was a nervous wreck by the time lunch rolled around the next day. He couldn't figure out which shirt he was going to wear or what to do with his hair. Katie was no help; all she did was laugh. After he changed his shirt for the twentieth time, she finally stepped in.

"Alex! Breathe. It's just Jack."

"Yeah, but..."

"Are you sure you don't have a crush on her?" she asked with a smirk.

"That's not funny," Alex said as he took off the shirt he had just put on.

With a sigh, Katie walked around him and plucked a shirt from under the pile of discarded shirts. While she was at it, she picked up a pair of light stone washed jeans and a pair of brown Steve Maddens.

"Wear this, okay?"

Alex nodded and proceeded to get dressed.

"What do you think?" he asked when he was done.

"Not bad, Rider. So, um, where are you two going to be?" Katie asked, keeping her back to him as she folded his clothes.

"Um, all over, I think. Why?"

"I just don't want to be in the way. You guys need time to talk."

Katie was surprised to hear Alex laugh.

Alex walked over to her and turned her around to face him.

"Katie, you won't be in the way. Besides, I want you there. You're my best friend in this place and I wouldn't be where I am without you. Secret Window, remember?"

Katie watched him as he went around the room picking up his stuff that he had left lying around.

"Are you serious? You want me there?" she asked, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Hell yeah."

Just then Thomas knocked on the door.

"Hey, Alex, Jack is here."

"Thanks, Thomas."

Alex took a deep breath and let it out.

"Let's go."

888

Alex watched Jack pace nervously in the lobby. She looked better since the last time that he saw her. He was about to take a step forward just a she made a turn but he chickened out at the last minute.

"What the hell, Alex?" Katie whispered.

"I don't think I can. Could you tell her that I don't feel good?"

"Alex, don't be a wuss. She came all this way to meet _you_ after _you_ called her. Come on," she said as she grabbed his arm and frog marched him over to Jack.

As soon as they rounded the corner, Jack saw them and her face broke into a happy smile, a smile that Alex hadn't seen in, well _years_.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Alex!" she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck.

She stood back from him and then pulled him close again.

Katie watched as Jack ran her hands all over Alex as if to re-familiarize herself with him. She looked away as she saw the tears falling down Jack's face. Alex might have said that she could join them, but the unspoken emotion between them was too much for her to bear. Besides, Alex would want to spend some alone time with Jack without a third wheel. Right? Somehow that thought left her feeling depressed. Shaking her head, she spared one more glance in Alex's direction.

"Maybe next time, Rider," she said with a sigh as she retreated back into the shadows.

* * *

Here is a much needed A/N.

First off, I didn't give credit where it was needed in chapter 6. The song that Katie sings is _Can't Take My Eyes of You_ by Lauryn Hill. I believe many people have covered this song, but I like this version better. Heehee.

Second of all, I reached a bit of a problem in later chapters. If I plan on a sequel, I have to keep everything happening before _2008_ because I'm not a Seer. So instead of having Alex and Katie being born in 1989 (my birth year) I had to change it to 1982 so they could be 18 in 2000 so by, say, 2006, they would be like 24 so any, um, future _activities_ would be age appropriate. Assuming I could write something, smutty.

Third thing is a question: Does anyone know exactly when Alex was born? I know I read (somewhere online) that he was born in February. I want to say it was the fifth, but I'm not sure. This bullet/question is so random but I was just curious. Now I must stop typing this so I can proof read chapter eleven. If I may say so, this chapter is relatively short. This converter thingie tells you how many words each chapter is. Just by looking at it in MS Word, it was tiny, but damn, I didn't realize it was that small. I may need to think a tad bit harder. Other than that, how is is? Don't be shy, drop a line. For those that write, I drop TONS of lines. LOL. Enough rambling on my part. Peace. RC


	11. Chapter 11

Have I ever said that this doesn't belong to me? I mean, the story line does as well as Katie and Carter and everyone else that doesn't jog your memory. I'm sad to say that Alex Rider, as hot as he is, belongs to A.H. Damn. Enjoy. -RC

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"Oh, Alex, it's so good to see you up and about. How are you?" Jack asked sitting down.

"Better. How about you?"

"Oh. Not bad."

"Be honest, Jack," he said.

"Is that what you've been learning here?"

"Sort of. Don't change the subject; I wanna talk about you first," he said turning in his chair to face her.

"Well, after I first admitted you, I was worried sick. And angry. I wondered why you would want to do something as drastic as suicide and why wouldn't you tell me that you were thinking of suicide. I know you've heard this before, but that's how I felt. After that, I felt useless because strangers were going to be closer to you than I could. But then, that girl, Katie? She started calling me and I felt guilty because someone else was telling me about you. But it was the only information that I had so the guilt sort of abated."

Jack looked over at Alex and cried, "What's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry that I put you through that. I knew you felt bad, but not that bad. I was just so angry and hurt that I didn't care how others felt because no one cared how I felt, you know?" he said quietly as tears rolled down his face.

Jack reached out her hand and softly wiped his tears with her fingers.

"For that, _I'm_ sorry. Come here, honey," she said as she opened her arms.

Alex leaned into her and allowed her to hold him. For the second time in his life, he didn't try to mask the pain because hiding the pain led to a deadly spiral that he didn't want to or couldn't get out of. He knew that Jack was there for him but he didn't realize how much until then. Katie had a weird way of putting things in perspective.

When he had felt that he had shown enough emotion, he slowly pulled back.

"Thanks for that, Jack. So," he said casting around for a topic that steered away from his emotional state, "you wanna see my room?"

"Yeah, I'd like that.

888

"This is where I sleep and talk to Katie," he said walking into the room, which finally showed some of his character. Instead of the bare white walls Jack saw the last time, Alex's side was filled with books on football and science fiction. There were even a few posters of his favorite team. There was even a bean bag chair and a few sketch pads lying around.

"Where is Katie?" Jack asked, glancing towards Katie's side and sitting down on his bed, that was made for once.

"I don't know. I told her she could join us," he said sitting down on his desk chair.

"Maybe she wanted to give us some time alone, so we could talk. So, about that."

"What?"

"That talk. When are we going to have it?"

"Now. It's time I told you."

For the next hour and a half, Alex told Jack about all of his missions and the way he felt before, during, and after each one of them. By the time he was finished, Jack was crying and he didn't think that she could handle Maria just now.

"I should have done something, Alex. I shouldn't have stood there and let them do that to you."

"Jack, you did what you could: be there for me when I got home."

"Alex, you tried to kill yourself! If that's not a big flag that I wasn't doing enough then I don't know what is!"

"Jack, they would have used me no matter what. If you would have stood up to them, you would have been deported and not allowed to come back or worse. I would have been sent to some fucking orphanage in Wales or something and they still would have used me. Face it, Jack, I'm good at what I do. Did."

Jack gave him a watery laugh. "You always were able to make me see it your way, even when you were trying to get out of homework."

"Yeah, well, I'm a spy."

"Was a spy," she said firmly and they shared a smile.

888

"Have you talked to Tom?" Alex asked as he bit into his burger covered in ketchup.

"No, have you?" she asked, talking around her chicken ceasar salad.

"Nope. I need to talk to him, to explain."

Jack nodded her head and they ate in silence for a few moments.

"What do you think he'd say?"

"Alex, you've never cared what others thought of you, so why start now?"

"I never let what people thought of me _get_ to me. There's a difference."

"Okay, I'll give you that," she said pointing her fork in his direction.

"So, what do you think?"

"He would wonder why you didn't come to him."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Just then Carter walked in and started on his rounds around the room.

Alex called out to him. "Dr. Carter."

Carter smiled and walked over to their table. Before he seated himself, he extended his hand to Jack.

"Nice of you to come down for a visit."

"I've missed him. He's almost back."

"Hey, I'm sitting right here," Alex said with a pout.

"Yeah, and?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oh, I see. Go on ahead and talk about me behind my back. See if I care," he said as he got up to put their trays up.

Instead of going back to their table, he decided to go outside on the balcony. On his way there, he stopped to check his room to see if Katie was there. She wasn't. He had a sinking feeling that something was going on with her and he was going to find out what it was, even if she said otherwise.


	12. Chapter 12

This chapter is dedicated to SheWeapon1 for all of the reviews and witty comments. I truly enjoy reading them because it gives me warm, fuzzy feelings which let me know that I'm doing a pretty good job, especially with this being my first fic and everything. Thanks. -RC

* * *

Chapter Twelve

After Jack's first visit, Alex started to see Carter, who advised that he should call Tom, on a regular basis. Plucking up the courage, he picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Yeah?"

"Hey."

"Rider, is that you?"

"Yeah, man."

"Dude! How are you?"

"Better. You?"

"Alright. My mom's still a mess and my dad just got remarried."

"What? Already? Wasn't the divorce finalized like, last month?"

"Yeah, and that's why my mom is still a mess. But enough about me. Why the fuck did you wait so long to call me? I need to be making plans to come visit for a holiday!"

Alex smiled at the excitement in Tom's voice.

"I needed to get right before I called, Tom. The last time we talked, I was fucked up and you were mad as hell."

"Holy shit."

"What?"

"Man, I did not mean to sound so insensitive," Tom said.

"Insensitive about what?"

"A holiday? Geez, I'm so tactless," Tom mumbled.

Alex laughed. "That's all right. That's why we are friends, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. So, are there any hot chicks where you are?"

Alex cast his mind over the girls that were there with him, stopping briefly to think about Katie.

"Man, I don't know."

"How can you not know? You've been there for what? Four or five months? Come on. Well, did you at least meet someone?"

"My roommate, Katie."

"You've got a girl for a roommie?"

"Yeah."

"Dude, you are so lucky. Have you seen her starkers?"

"She's my friend, retard, not a shagging buddy. Damn."

Tom was on the other end of the line cracking up.

"That's not funny," Alex said starting to smile.

"Yes, it is. Have you noticed that your accent is changing? It's an American-British mix now."

"I haven't noticed. I'll ask Katie the next time I see her."

"Oooh. Katie."

"Shut up before I hang up on you."

"You won't hang up. I know you, Alex. You always threaten me with hanging up. Shit. It sounds like we're going out."

They both laughed. Alex thought it was now or never.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry. For everything."

There was silence on the other end of the line and Alex thought that Tom had hung up.

"Tom?" he called.

"I'm still here. Can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Promise me that you'll never do that again."

"I promise."

888

A few days later, Alex ran into Katie, literally.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" he asked reaching down to help her up.

"Peachy."

Alex looked at his friend and saw the bags under her eyes and the droop of her shoulders. If he didn't know any better, he would say that she had lost some weight.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," she said giving him a smile.

Alex studied her a little bit longer before replying.

"Bullshit."

The smile fell from her face but before she could reply, Carter walked up.

"Alex, I'm so glad that I found you. I have great news. Come, let's talk in my office."

Alex started after Carter and then he stopped to turn around.

"This conversation isn't over, Katie."

888

"You're going to let me stay the weekend with Jack?" he asked.

"Yes. We believe that you can handle it. After all, you have been making great progress."

"I can't believe this. Does Jack know?"

"Yes, we ran the idea by her first and she's delighted."

Alex sat in the chair staring at the ground as he tried to digest this new development. '_Finally,' _he thought_. 'I'm getting some kind of reward for my hard work, something MI6 never did.'_ Looking up, he grinned at Carter.

"Thank you so much. Does this new privilege start this weekend?"

"Yes, so I advise you to get packed up."

Alex didn't need to be told twice. He hopped out of the chair and ran to his room. Once he got there, he dragged his duffle bag out from under the bed and started throwing his stuff in it.

"Going somewhere?"

"Carter's letting me out for good behavior. I'm spending the weekend at Jack's. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"It must have slipped my mind. So, what are you guys gonna do?"

"Hang out I guess. Why don't you ask Carter to ask your parents if you could visit on Saturday? Jack won't mind. It would make up for last time," he said piling stuff pell mell into the bag. When he was done, he stood up and stretched.

"I hope you have fun."

"Jack's middle name is fun," he said turning around. "You should seriously come."

The phone rang and Alex picked it up.

"Yeah?"

"I'm downstairs."

"Be right there," he said hanging up the phone. He reached down to pick up the bag with one hand and gave Katie a hug with the other. "Bye. See you Sunday night!"

* * *

A/N: Okay, folks. I don't think I ever managed to provide a time frame for this. If you haven't noticed, all seven books have been included, or will be included. Now, I don't know how British kids finish senior year. I've read that they take GSCEs in other fics and I guess A Levels before college (courtesy of _Bend It Like Beckham). _But for this fic, Alex was committed in May after senior year, or Year 12, so five months later would put this around October with it getting cold and everything.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The ride to Jack's place in the Village was uneventful. Alex just sat in the passenger seat, which was on the opposite of cars in England, and watched the city go by.

"The last time I was here in the city, I was stuck with the fucking CIA."

"Language, Alex."

"Sorry," he said with a smile. Things were definitely starting to return to normal.

Thirty minutes later, Jack pulled into a little parking lot behind some apartment buildings. Alex got out of the car and looked around the quiet neighborhood.

"This is nice, Jack."

"Wait until you see the inside."

The inside was Jack's dream loft with huge floor to ceiling windows and a big open space that consisted of the dining room and the den with the kitchen off to the side. A hallway led to the back of the loft which consisted of two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Jack showed Alex to his room. It was a deep blue with matching bed spread and accessories. Everything else was trimmed in steel. The room and the whole house had a modern contemporary style to it.

Jack let Alex unpack while she cooked something up. A few minutes later, Alex joined her in the kitchen and sat on the counter top.

"What's for dinner?"

"Fish and chips."

"Don't you mean French fries?" he asked with a smile.

"Has Katie been turning you American? Your accent has changed."

"Tom said the same thing."

"So you've talked to him?"

"Well, I've started to. Our first conversation revolved around girls and the upcoming holidays."

Jack rolled her eyes.

"He did ask me to promise him something, though."

"And what was that?"

"That I would never do something like that again."

"And what did you say?"

"What do you think?"

"Just making sure," she said with a wink.

They spent the rest of dinner talking about nothing in particular. After dinner, they watched a horror flick. Jack went to bed after it went off, but Alex stayed up thinking while he looked at the bright city lights in the distance.

Things really were looking up for him. He could think about Maria without wanting to break something and his confused feelings were mostly straightened out. The only thing that worried him now was Katie. Over the last few weeks, she had stopped talking to him. He didn't know when she started to mean so much to him, but nonetheless, he needed to find out what was wrong. With a sigh, he got into bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, he woke up early and took a shower. Fifteen minutes later, he was standing in front of the stove shirtless with damp hair.

"Is that eggs I smell?"

"Omelets."

"My favorite," Jack sighed as she walked into the kitchen. With a glance in his direction, she smiled.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"When was the last time you worked out?" she asked knowing that he took great pride in his "sexy bod."

"It's been a few months. Why?"

"You're turning all into one again!" she cooed.

"What?!" Looking down, Alex saw that everything was as he left it, albeit a bit less defined.

"That hasn't changed," Jack said with a laugh.

"I gotta look good for the ladies," he said posing with the spatula in one hand.

"Of course you do, but the only person who's seen your magnificent chest is Katie, right?"

"Yeah. And?"

"Nothing."

Alex threw her a confused look but shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever."

888

Later on that day, they were walking around Chinatown when they passed a tattoo parlor.

"Let's get tattoos," Alex said suddenly.

"Are you crazy?" Jack exclaimed. She glanced at the tattoo parlor and wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"You haven't noticed that by now? Didn't I tell you that I jumped on a flag pole fifteen stories high to reach Ian's office?"

"Yeah, you told me."

"I'm a nut."

"Do you think Carter will approve?"

"No. Maybe later?" he said.

"A whole lot later, kid."

Alex just tucked her arm under his and smiled.

They ventured out of Chinatown and took a subway to the heart of the city. For lunch, they ate Thai food on a park bench.

"Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah," he mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.

"What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"The sessions with Carter."

Jack watched as Alex put down his food and sighed. At first she thought he wouldn't say anything when he just hung his head.

"They were horrible. At first, they weren't mandatory and mostly I skipped them. After a few weeks, they became mandatory and I had to sit there and listen to him basically take my feelings and dissect them in front of me. He wanted me angry so I would talk, but I had had practice with not talking. Jack, I was miserable. After every session, I had a fucking migraine. I was irritable all the time. I just wanted to drill a hole in my temple to get the images out."

Alex glanced up and saw the look on Jack's pale face and quickly backtracked.

"Not literally, Jack. Figuratively speaking. Katie warned me that they would drive me to the point of suicide and keep me from doing it. It was after such a hell session that Katie seemed to push my last button and I snapped. I told her about Maria."

"Who is Maria?"

Alex closed his eyes and shook his head to get rid of her face. Every time her name crossed his mind, the guilt he felt became less and less, but the pain was still there.

"One day, Jack, one day," he said promising to tell her sometime in the near future.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Later on that night, Alex was lying on his bed staring out of the window. He couldn't believe how fast the weekend went by. In between the fun, he and Jack had started to close the gap that lay between them. Smiling, he rolled over and closed his eyes.

The next day around noon, Alex found himself back at the ORC checking in. Carter was waiting for them at the front desk.

"Alex, how was your weekend?"

"It was great. For once, she let me cook."

"Don't let him fool you, Dr. Carter. He cooked only because I woke up late and he has a bottomless pit for a stomach," Jack said with a smile.

"What can I say? I think I'm still growing," Alex said with a smile.

Carter clapped him on the back and said, "Why don't you go up and put your stuff away and meet us in my office in a few minutes."

Alex nodded his head and grabbed his stuff. Once he returned to his room, he dropped everything and looked out of the window. Catching movement in his peripheral vision, he turned around.

"Katie."

"Hey. How was your weekend?"

"Not bad. We had fun. What about you?"

"I slept mostly," she said. Glancing up at him she quickly added, "And yes, I'm fine."

"I wasn't going to ask you that. I was going to say that I missed you, but it's good that you're okay. See you later?"

Katie nodded and Alex walked out.

Once he was gone, Katie let out the breath she had been holing. Lying to Alex was not something that she could normally pull off, but since he was preoccupied, it was easy.

Sitting on her bed, she pulled out the letter she had quickly hidden from Alex.

_To Miss Katherine Calloway,_

_Your petition for emancipation has been reviewed and granted. Your presence is requested at the Fourth District Courthouse on December 12, 2000. Legal representation will be provided. Thank you for your time._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Judge Carl Jones_

Crumpling the letter, she buried her face in her pillow and cried.

888

Carter did not have much to say to Jack other than how proud he was of Alex's progress and that arrangements were being made for the Thanksgiving holiday.

"We feel that Alex could handle spending more than a weekend with you. I believe that being around other people his age will be instrumental to his recovery. I must admit that his recovery has been really quick."

"Alex is a remarkable young man, Doctor. I am truly proud of him. When do you think he can be permanently released from your care?"

"After Christmas, perhaps. We don't like to rush progress because then he might not be ready."

"I understand completely."

There was a knock on the door and Alex stuck his head in.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all. I was just telling Jack that you might be able to spend most of the Thanksgiving break with her, providing if there is further progress on your part," Carter said.

"How does that sound, Alex?" Jack asked.

"Sounds good to me. Could Katie come and visit?"

"Katie?"

"Yeah, if that's possible."

"We'll see."

888

The news spread like wildfire; every one seemed to know that Alex spent the weekend away from the center.

"Where did you go, Alex?" Mrs. Klein asked.

"Chinatown and Central Park. We mostly stayed at her place talking about stuff."

"That's so sweet. When will you be checking out of here?"

"I don't know. I think Jack said after Christmas?"

"That's only a few more weeks. You are so lucky," someone across the room called.

Alex shrugged his shoulders at the comment and continued looking for Katie. For some strange reason, she had taken to avoiding him. Curious as to why, he would wait up for her only to go to sleep and wake up to find her gone again. When he did manage a glimpse of her, she looked tired and restless.

A few days later, Alex found a letter on her bed. Picking it up, he started to read.

"_You are an embarrassment to the Calloway name, Katherine. Why did you file for emancipation? How will you support yourself? You dropped out of school and when you did attend class, you were stoned out of your mind. How are you going to repay us for all the money we paid for your treatment? Your trust fund will be dissolved and you can go live on the streets like a junkie." _

Alex put the letter down and just stared at it. It wasn't signed. Who would write a letter like that? And then it dawned on him; all of the comments Katie made about having someone like Jack care that much about him. The whole time it was staring him in the face and he didn't see it. _'What kind of friend have I been these past couple of months?' _he wondered.


	15. Chapter 15

Here is chapter fifteen! I think this is my favorite chapter so far because the whole reason for this story is brought up. And we all know how Alex feels about his friends at MI6. So read and review and let me know what you think. Ciao. -RC

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Alex didn't get a chance to be a better friend. Carter had started demanding more of his time. Alex didn't mind the extra sessions if it meant that he was getting better, which would lead to him actually getting out sometime soon. All the while, though, he had a nagging feeling that whatever Katie was hiding from him, it was something serious.

During one of those extra sessions, Carter brought up MI6.

"Alex, I would like to think that we have a relationship established between us. I would like to test the bonds of that relationship at the moment, okay?"

Alex got an uneasy feeling as he stared at Carter. Carter had his poker face on so Alex couldn't decipher what was going on in his head.

"Okay," Alex said slowly.

"First question: how do you feel about MI6?"

At the mention of the British secret service, Alex reddened and looked out of the window. Alex had much to say about them and most of it wasn't nice. He planned on keeping it to himself, but keeping secrets was what put him in rehab.

Gritting his teeth he said, "I fucking hate them."

"Why?"

Alex looked incredulously at Carter. _'I thought that was obvious,' _he thought.

" 'Why'?" he echoed. "Have you not heard about the hell they put me through? Both mentally and physically?" he asked, his voice steadily getting louder.

"I have heard about it, but not from you."

Carter sat back in his chair and waited. He knew that Alex would fight him on this topic because that's the kind of person Alex was. He watched as Alex mentally discarded possible answers before settling on one of them.

"They used me," he said simply.

"Everyone uses everyone. Why should you be any different?"

"They blackmailed me."

"Anyone can be blackmailed. Why were you so special?"

"Because, dammit! My father was a fucking super spy as well as my uncle. Ian died and they thought that the "super spy" gene must run in the fucking family. To test their theory, they made me an offer: be a spy for them and everything will be okay." He stopped for a moment and then snorted. "I still would like to know their definition of fucking _okay._"

"Okay, so they made you an offer. You could have refused."

"Refused. I like that word. However, what I like never comes into the picture. If I would have 'refused,' Jack would be in Chicago because she was kicked out of the country and I would probably be somewhere in the middle of nowhere Wales or something. All of my shit would have been packed up or sold. My choices: do a simple recon mission or become a fucking orphan. What do you think I chose?"

Carter nodded his head. "Okay. So they used you once, why didn't you say enough for the second mission?"

"There was the threat of Jack being deported hanging over my head and the slight problem that I had spent the night in jail. It turned out that I had a 'status.' I was completely shocked."

"What about the third mission?"

"I got into some trouble with the Triads at Wimbledon and in Cornwall. They needed to keep me safe so they volunteered me to take on a crazy man with a whole shit load of uranium in the Keys for the CIA."

Alex had begun to see where the conversation was going, so he continued.

"The next time I did it on my own because my sort of girlfriend's dad was almost murdered by Damian Cray, the sick bastard. I managed to piss him off in front of a thousand or so people at the launch of his game system and he went after her. The fifth mission came about because I needed to know the truth about my dad. Turned out what I knew was only half the truth. I got in with a terrorist organization and flopped between them and MI6 when they realized that Julia Rothman, a crazy bitch, was planning on killing a whole shitload of school children. The sixth one happened after I was shot when I 'heroically' saved Nikolei Drevin's son from being charbroiled, on his father's orders. MI6 was hearing some rumors about Drevin and they wanted me to check it out since he had offered me some R and R at his estate in the country. The result of my R and R was me being sent into outer space. The last mission happened after I returned from space. I landed off the coast of Australia and they wouldn't let me leave without doing them, meaning ASIS, a favor. I met the fucking bastard that killed my parents."

"Do you want to know what I think?"

Sighing, Alex ran a hand through his hair, which was getting a little long. "What do you think, Carter?"

"I think you were slightly bored with your life."

Alex glanced up quickly. "What?"

Was the man mental? Bored was sitting in a bed staring at the wall when there was nothing to do. Bored was flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch on TV. Bored was not trying to stay alive when crazy people were hell bent on putting you six feet under.

"Alex, you've been taught to do all of these extraordinary things. I think you were looking for excitement."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever felt slightly out of place at school among your peers?"

Alex thought about it for a moment before nodding his head.

"Everyone thought I was odd, even before Ian died."

"Why do you think they thought you were odd?"

"Well, I never talked to anyone but Tom. Everyone steered clear of me because I beat the shit out of a few bullies once."

"Okay. Time to change tactics. Do you think if MI6 would have left you alone, you would have eventually traveled the world to do extreme sports?"

"Hell yeah! I mean, have you ever been white water rafting? The thrill..." Alex didn't finish his thought. He didn't need to because Carter had made his point.

"Are you saying that I didn't say no because I liked the adrenaline rush way too much?"

"That's what I'm suggesting, Alex. And I think that you hate MI6 because they took your _choice _away from you. Your uncle sort of gave you a choice in the vacations you took. MI6 said you're going here and it's final. They took away your choice and didn't care about your feelings. I must admit that they should have never used a 14 year old like that in the first place, but that's water under the bridge now. What's your next step?"

"I don't know, Carter. I'm just tired of feeling this way."

"Would it help any if you could tell them how you feel?"

"Via satellite communication?" he asked.

"No. Face to face."

Alex turned around to see Mrs. Jones standing in the doorway.

"I figured you should talk to at least one of them," Carter replied to the frosty glare Alex sent his way. "I'll leave you two to it."

Alex watched as Carter got up and left him in the office with Tulip Jones, the bane of his existence. Well, one of them anyway.

"I was beginning to think you didn't care," he said glaring at her.

"I do care..." she began.

"Bullshit."

"You don't know how many times I've tried to stop Alan from using you. He just never listened. He figured my concern was misplaced seeing as your whole family managed to cope."

"Haven't you heard that there are only _two _peas in one pod? The third person is usually assed out," he said standing up.

Mrs. Jones watched him pace from her position by the door.

"May I sit down?"

Alex vaguely gestured to the chair he just vacated. She sat down and sighed.

"Alex, I was never 100 sure about enlisting your help," she paused when she saw Alex's raised eyebrow, but he didn't interrupt. "I agreed that a fourteen year old would present the element of surprise but I never thought Alan would act on it."

"Of course you didn't. I mean, I wouldn't either after working with Blunt for as long as you have. I would have thought you just started working with him," he said sarcastically from his perch on the end of the desk.

Mrs. Jones shook her head. She figured he would be sarcastic. He always was, even when he was hurt.

"After you signed on to 'enlist' my help, as you so delicately put it, did you even think about how this would affect me?"

"Yes, I did..."

"But not enough, obviously. National security or severely fucking up my life. Which one was more important?" he asked, holding his hands up like a balance.

"Alex, I'm sorry."

"Right."

"Alex, I had children once. I know how to care for others but losing them has thrown everything out of whack. I just didn't think."

"Not thinking in the spy world can get you killed. Yassen taught me that," he said. Shaking his head, he changed the subject. "What took you so long anyway?"

"I couldn't get away. Alan thought that we should let you be. You never needed our help before."

"Never needed help?" he whispered. "Where the hell have you been?! Did you not read my debriefings? Did you not know what type of fucking lunatics I was dealing with on a fucking weekly basis? Jesus, lady. You truly do live your life behind a glass wall."

"Alex..."

"No, let me finish," he said. "How many times have I asked you people for a gun?"

"Alex, you were fourteen. You weren't..."

"Old enough? I know. I wasn't old enough to protect myself, but I was old enough to get shot at. Old enough to _be_ shot. Would you send the SAS to war without armor or military tanks?"

"No," she said hanging her head.

"Then why send me with nothing? The stuff Smithers gave me was great for getting out of tough spots but not enough for protection. I shot up the museum with a stolen gun; the gun I had to shoot you with was given to me by Scorpia. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Yes, I do. What can we do to fix it?"

"I cannot be easily fixed!" he snapped. "A toy can be fixed; a fucked up operation can be saved, if not fixed. You can't snap your fingers and fix someone's emotional state. It takes time." He paused for a moment and then added, "And why would I want your fucking help anyway?"

"Because we made you this way. We took your childhood away for selfish reasons. How can I help?"

"Just leave me the hell alone," he said walking out of the office.

Mrs. Jones just sat there staring at the door. Carter rushed in and glanced around, making sure no one was hurt seeing as Alex had a tendency to verbally lash out at people.

"What happened?"

"He walked out. Everything he said was true, though. We forced him to grow up too fast. I don't think Ian would have liked it, although he molded him for this line of work." She stood up suddenly. "Keep me posted, Doctor."

Carter watched as she gathered herself and walked out of his office.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Alex sat out on the balcony. Winter was fast approaching. The leaves had already fallen off of the trees. Halloween and Katie's birthday had come and gone. Even though the session with Carter and Mrs. Jones gave him a migraine, he did feel better afterwards. All of the things he had wanted to say were finally said and he felt liberated. The cold air helped to clear his mind but the moment of no responsibility didn't last long because he thought back to Katie's party. He remembered how tired she looked. Every time someone hugged her, she winced as if she was in physical pain. The whole time she kept looking up at the doors as if she was expecting someone to walk in. When the party was over, Katie had barricaded herself in the women's bathroom. Days after the party, she avoided him like the plague and if she had to be in his presence, she didn't talk.

Alex was beginning to get worried. He brought the topic up at his next session.

"Carter, what's wrong with Katie?"

"What do you mean?"

"She's avoiding me and not talking to anyone. She walks around like a zombie."

"Maybe she has a lot on her mind?" Carter suggested lamely.

"Bullshit. She's had lots on her mind before and she wouldn't stop talking about it. Something's wrong."

"Alex, you know I can't breach doctor-patient confidentiality."

"I didn't say that you should. I'm her friend, Carter, or I thought I was. She needs to talk to someone before she explodes. She may not be having the same problem that I did, but the outcome will be just as fatal."

"Alex, I'll talk to her, but I can't make her say anything until she wants to. You know that," he said.

"I know. I just wanted to... never mind."

888

Weeks passed without a word from Katie. Thanksgiving was approaching and Alex didn't want to leave without saying something to her. He spent forever trying to find her but she always seemed to disappear. On the day that he was supposed to be leaving, she walked into their room.

"Katie," Alex breathed as he stood up.

"Hey, Alex. Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah. I'm going back to Jack's for the holiday. I would like for you to visit too, I mean if your parents say that it's okay," he said trying to get a reaction from her, but he was disappointed.

"I'll ask them. What time will Jack pick you up?"

"Any minute now," he said. He opened his mouth to say something else.

"Don't worry about me, Rider. Go and enjoy your break. I'll walk down with you."

She reached around him and picked up his lighter bag. She walked to the door and turned around. "Coming?"

"Yeah."

They walked to the elevators discussing the possibility of a white Thanksgiving, since the temperature had dropped significantly.

"Are you going to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe," he said.

When they reached the lobby, Katie stopped.

"Here's the rest of your stuff."

"Katie, why do you sound as if this is goodbye?" he asked looking at her.

"It is, isn't it?"

"You know what I mean. A permanent goodbye."

"Overactive imagination."

"Give me your hand," he said reaching inside of his pocket for a pen.

"What for?" she asked holding out her hand.

Alex didn't answer; he just scribbled Jack's number and address on her palm.

"Call me. Any time and I mean _any_ time. Secret window, remember?"

Katie looked at her hand and stared at it before she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Alex dropped his stuff and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"You are a wonderful person, Alex Rider. Don't let anyone or anything let you believe otherwise," she said pulling back and framing his face with her hands.

Brushing a tendril of hair away from her face he replied, "The same applies to you, Katie. Don't let anyone tell _you_ any different," he said as he stepped back, hoping that she understood what he meant.

"Alex?"

Alex turned around to see Jack standing in the lobby. Turning back around, he searched Katie's face for some sign but found none. He picked up his stuff and started to walk away. He had reached the doors when he turned around and shouted, "Call me, Katie!"

Katie nodded and watched as he loaded his stuff into the trunk of Jack's car. She stayed in the lobby until she could no longer see the car. Shaking her head, she slowly made her way back to the elevators.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

In the car, Alex stared out of the window.

"I have a surprise for you when we get home," Jack sang happily.

When Alex didn't reply, she cast a worried glance in his direction.

"Alex?"

"I shouldn't have come," he said softly.

"Why not?"

"Something's not right with Katie. She's been avoiding me, Jack. Something's wrong."

"Did you tell Carter?"

"Yeah."

Alex retreated into silence for the rest of the ride. When they got back to Jack's place, he still didn't perk up.

Jack was worried and in her moment of worry, she forgot the surprise awaiting Alex inside so when the door opened of its own accord she just stared.

"Jack?" Alex asked settling into his defense posture.

"Is that the sort of welcome I get after not seeing you in a few months?"

"Tom?" Alex asked incredulously.

"Who else, retard?" Tom asked opening the door wider to let them in.

"When did you get in?" Alex asked putting his stuff down.

"Last night and I'm still tired," Tom said sitting down on the ottoman to resume his game.

"Yeah, the jet lag is a bitch."

"Alex."

"Sorry. What have you guys been doing?"

"I've been shopping for Thanksgiving while this lazy arse has been playing that contraption all day."

"It's a PS2," Tom corrected looking hurt.

His angsty moment gone Alex said, "When did you get a PS2?"

"My dad shipped it to me when he got married. It was like some sort of peace offering for marrying a skank bitch and screwing my mom over. I'm not complaining, though."

"Neither would I," Alex said taking off his coat. "Shove over."

Jack shook her head as the old Alex started to come out. She remembered a time when all Alex was concerned about was karate, soccer, and PlayStation. She went back into the kitchen to cook something for them to eat with a smile on her face.

Dinner was a comfortable affair. Alex told Jack and Tom how his sessions were going, especially the one when Mrs. Jones showed up.

"She actually showed up?" Tom asked, shocked.

"Yeah."

"What did she say?"

"A load of bullshit about not being on board 100 with using me and how she felt about my mental state."

"Do you believe her?" Jack asked. She had hated what Alex had been doing with a passion.

"I believe that she's sorry now. It's a little late, but it's something."

"How could you be so forgiving after, after everything she put you through?!" Jack shrieked.

"Jack, I can't live my life in a constant state of anger. It's not healthy. Besides, I'm done. I told her I quit."

"Are you sure?" Tom asked.

"She wanted to know how she could fix the situation," Alex said over Jack's gasp, "and I told her to leave me alone."

After dessert, Alex brought out his PlayStation.

"Let's play Grand Turismo."

"Was the PS2 kicking your ass?"

"No. I just remember there being a challenge between us over this game and I want to settle it."

"Set it up, Rider and be prepared to get your ass handed to you."

"Like hell, Harris."

"Good night, boys," Jack called but they didn't hear her. Smiling, she went to bed.

888

They spent the next day cooking and running errands. Between all the baking and burning pies, Jack decided to buy one.

"Alex, can you manage to go to the store without crashing into anything?"

"Jack, I've been driving since I was eleven," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"But you knew where you were going."

"Give me the keys, Jack."

"I don't know."

"Jack..."

Jack turned and ran with Alex right behind her. Tom just rolled his eyes and starting mixing the ingredients together to make the pie Jack had abandoned.

Shouting in triumph, Alex retrieved the keys.

"No fair, Alex. You're taller than me."

"Whatever."

"Actually, no one has to go. I just put two pies in the oven."

Jack and Alex just stared at Tom.

"When did you learn how to cook?" Alex asked.

"Fighting parents. I went to a cooking class and learned. I was tired of take out and left-overs."

"You will make some girl very lucky," Jack said with a smile.

Over dinner that night, they talked about the parade the next day.

"Time Square is about thirty minutes away. To get a good spot, we'll have to be there early," Jack said.

"I'm up for it," Alex said.

Jack and Alex swung their gaze over to Tom.

"Well, I've got no choice now."

888

The next morning, they woke up at the crack of dawn, packed breakfast and lunch in a lunch kit and made their way to Time Square. The wait for the start of the parade took forever, but when it did, they enjoyed it.

When they made it back to the loft, they were frozen solid.

"Whose bright idea was it to see the bloody parade?" Tom muttered between chattering teeth.

"You could have stayed home and played the PS2," Alex mumbled.

"Okay boys, let's thaw out and then we'll eat. I've turned on the heater," Jack said.

A few minutes later, they all sat down to say what they were most thankful for. Tom went first.

"Well, first off, I'm glad to be here. I've always wanted to go to New York and here I am. Um, I'm happy the divorce is over so my mom can start to get over it, and I'm happy that my best friend is back."

Jack turned to Alex.

"Well, I'm thankful for having people like you who care about me enough to call me on my bullshit and throw it back in my face. I'm thankful that I'm done with MI6 once and for all and that I'm back."

"I'm grateful for everything, the good and the bad. Alex, I'm grateful that you are getting better and things are starting to go back to the way they were with major changes. Um, I'm loving life in the city but I can't wait to go back home. That's about it."

Jack said a prayer and they dug in. Hours later when they were watching _A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving_ re-run, the phone rang.

"Got it," Alex called from the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Alex, she's gone."

* * *

Evil cliff hanger, eh? Muhahahahaaaaa! Cough, cough. Sorry. I thought it was time, albeit a little late, to change the ending of at least one chapter. I think it adds a bit of suspense until I update again. Until then...


	18. Chapter 18

And now the much awaited conclusion to last chapter's evil cliffie!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Alex dropped the phone. "FUCK!"

Jack and Tom came running.

"What's wrong, Alex?"

Alex reached down for the phone.

"Hello?" he heard down the line.

"Yeah," he said gruffly.

"I went to check on her and I found a note on her bed. It said," and Alex heard rustling on the other end.

"_Thank you for everything, Carter. You have given me a part of my life back. I was able to smile again but then everything changed in the form of a letter. I'm going to be emancipated from my parents and I have nowhere else to go. I can't stay here at the ORC because my bed is needed for a new patient. _

_When you see Alex, tell him that I'm going to miss him terribly. He's the only friend I have in this whole world. He made me feel wanted and worthy to be me. I love you, Alex. Always remember that. This is not your fault. Love, Katie."_

Carter took a deep breath before continuing, "Alex, where could she be?"

"I don't..." he started but then he remembered one of their many conversations.

'_Where do you want to go after you get out?' Alex asked placing his head in her lap._

'_Oh, I don't know. Out is out,' she said looking down on him._

'_I'm serious, Katie.'_

'_I've always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island would be nice too.'_

'_You mean to tell me that you've lived your entire life in New York and you've never visited the Statue of Liberty?'_

'_Have you visited Buckingham Palace?'_

_Alex didn't say anything._

'_My point exactly. I would have gone, but I never had anyone to go with,' she said._

_Alex intertwined their fingers and replied, 'Now you do, Katie. Just tell me when, love. Just tell me when.'_

"The Statue of Liberty," he mumbled.

"What?"

"The Statue of Liberty," he said a little louder before he hung up.

"Alex what's wrong?" Jack asked.

"I knew it, Jack. She's left. I gotta find her," he said pulling on his coat, scarf and gloves.

"Why don't you let Carter find her?" Tom asked.

"Because it's my fault she's gone. I should've been there for her or something," he said looking around for something. "Where are the keys?" Looking up, he saw Jack holding them.

"Alex, I don't want you to get hurt," she said.

"Jack, this isn't like last time. Katie hasn't been kidnapped by some fucking lunatic like Sabina was. She ran away. It's cold outside and the temperature is steadily falling. I have to go," he said, silently willing her to hand him the keys.

"I'm coming with you," she said reaching for her coat. "Tom, there are some flashlights in the hall closet. Grab some."

Tom hurried to do what he was told. A few moments later, they were in the car making their way over to Liberty Island. During the whole ride, Alex was quiet and Jack started worry all over again. When they reached Liberty Island, Alex was the first one out of the car. Jack looked at Tom but all he did was shrug and turn on his flashlight. They could already hear Alex calling.

"KATIE! Katie, where are you?"

There was no answer. They had been searching for forty-five minutes before Carter showed up.

"Have you had any luck?"

"Where have you been?" Alex asked.

"I had to inform her parents."

"Why? They didn't care before, why should they care now?"

"Legalities. She's not emancipated yet so she's still under their protection. Where have you looked?"

"Everywhere it seems," Jack said looking around.

"Well, let's brainstorm back in my truck. I've got hot chocolate," Carter offered.

Alex looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Alex, we're not doing her any good by freezing," Tom said.

"Why don't you go, then? I'll signal you or something," Alex said walking away.

Jack watched Alex walk away in dismay.

"He's taking this really hard," she said.

"Wouldn't you do the same?" Tom asked. "If you were in his shoes? She was the first person he talked to; she means a lot to him."

"You're absolutely right, Tom. I still think we should brainstorm, though."

888

Alex was starting to get frantic. _Calm down, Rider. You've been in tougher situations than this. Just think, _he thought. Looking around, he noticed that there was space under the dock. When he climbed down to the water's edge, he saw a whole niche under the dock and Katie was there huddled up under a thin blanket.

"Oh, Katie," he said as he crawled over to her. Shaking her gently he said, "Katie, can you hear me?"

She didn't move. Taking off a glove, he touched her arm to confirm what he already knew: she was freezing and if she didn't get warm soon, she could die. With the light from his flashlight, he could see that she was slowly turning blue.

"C'mon, Katie. Wake up," he said shaking her a little harder. His efforts produced a weak moan.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she tried to focus on his face.

"Alex?" she said in a voice barely audible.

"Yeah, it's me."

"I thought I told you not to find me," she scolded weakly.

"I didn't listen. Come on," he said gathering her up in his arms.

He slowly began to make his way back up the embankment and in the general direction of where Jack parked. Every now and again, he would look down to make sure she was still breathing. It scared him when every time he checked, her chest didn't rise as much. Pushing himself to go faster, he made it to the clearing where he found them huddled over a map.

"Quick," he called in a hoarse whisper, "we need to get to a hospital. Fast."

The ride to the hospital was frantic. Alex and Tom gave Katie their coats and scarves to keep warm. Alex noticed that she wasn't so blue anymore and that gave him hope, but the fact that her heart could stop due to freezing blood was still a danger. When they reached the hospital, Jack quickly drove to emergency. The car had barely stopped before Alex hopped out with Katie.

Alex ran into the lobby.

"Somebody help us, please!" he cried.

Doctors and nurses seemed to come from everywhere asking too many questions at once.

"What's wrong?"

"What's her name?"

"Are you her boyfriend?"

Alex took a deep breath before answering.

"Her name is Katie Calloway. She's 18 and she's got hypothermia symptoms."

Alex watched as she was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out of the lobby. He tried to follow, but a nurse detached herself from the horde and prevented him from tagging along.

"She's with the doctors right now. There is nothing you can do at the moment. What is your relationship with Katie?" she asked.

"Um," he said going blank for a moment. What was he to her? A friend or a boyfriend? Deciding to leave that confusing thought for later he settled for the easiest one. "Friend. I'm her friend."

"She's lucky to have a friend like you."

"She wouldn't be here if I wasn't her friend," he mumbled.

The nurse took a second to comprehend that statement and she attributed it to stress and worry. Taking his hand she asked, "Do you have any contact information for her?"

"No, but the guy we rode here with might. He's outside."

A few moments later, Carter, Jack, and Tom rushed in. The nurse went right to Carter to start filling out the infinite amount of paperwork. Jack and Tom sat on either side of Alex. Jack grabbed his hand and was rewarded with a brief squeeze.

All they could do now was wait.

* * *

Did you like it? Another cliff hanger. The suspense, this time, won't kill you (SheWeapon1) because ch.19 is being updated when I'm done with this one. Peace. -RC


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The time it took the doctors to come back seemed like eternity to Alex. He kept up a mantra in his head, repeating over and over that Katie was fine. To pass the time, he looked around the sterile waiting room for anything to keep his attention. Besides the nurses and their small party, there was a woman sitting by the window staring bleakly out at winter sky. Alex saw that she had dark purple circles under her eyes and a wrinkled look about her. There was a man next to her. He was staring at the blue tiled floor without really seeing it. Suddenly, the automatic doors opened and a well dressed couple walked in.

Shifting his gaze to them, he saw that the woman was in her mid-forties. She was wearing a dark blue pant suit underneath a dark pea coat. The man was in his early fifties, by the looks of him, and he was wearing dark slacks with a white shirt underneath a dark sweater vest. The woman walked over to the information desk and asked to see Katherine Calloway.

"Who are you?" the nurse asked in a polite tired voice.

"I am her mother, Mariah Calloway," the woman said in a crisp, no nonsense voice.

"The doctors are still with her. Please take a seat and I will transfer any information I receive right to you."

The woman, Mrs. Calloway, gave the nurse a haughty look before taking a seat a few chairs away from Tom.

Jack looked at Alex and raised an eyebrow. "That's her mother?" she mouthed.

Alex just shrugged but he could see the slight resemblance between them. Katie had her mother's face, color, and build, but that was where the resemblance ended. Where Katie was all hugs and kisses, her mom was all steel without a motherly bone in her whole body. Alex shifted his gaze to her father, Travis.

Travis had salt and pepper hair but Alex could tell that it was dirty blonde at one time or another. Alex could not look at him and read him. For some reason, the man was closed off to the world and Alex wondered what had happened for him to feel that way.

Alex watched as Mrs. Calloway looked around the waiting room with a look of disdain on her face. When she spotted Carter, she got up and made her way to where he was sitting.

"Doctor Carter, correct?" she asked in a polished voice.

Carter looked up and sighed. "Yes," he said standing up to move to a more secluded section of the room.

"How could you let this happen?" she accused.

Even though they were in a secluded corner of the room, her voice carried over to everyone in the room.

"How did I let this happen?" Carter asked in outrage, trying and failing to keep his voice professional and quiet. "Katie knows how to hide her feelings from me. I can ask her every question in the whole universe, but she has a choice whether or not she wants to answer. That's what we pride ourselves on at the ORC; we give our patients a choice."

Tossing her light brown hair over her shoulder, she changed the subject.

"Did you know about the hearing?"

"She did bring that up. Are you sure she can handle the emancipation process?" Carter asked.

At that Alex perked up.

"I'm positive. I know my daughter. Everything just rolls off of her."

"I'm not so sure about that. There's a lot that you don't know about your daughter," Alex interjected quietly.

Mrs. Calloway turned her frosty brown gaze over to Alex.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

Looking up he replied, "A friend."

"Well, as a friend I expect you to shut up and speak when spoken to."

"As a friend, it is my responsibility to speak up when someone that I love is in pain," he said standing up. "I haven't known Katie long, but she is the most loving person I have ever met. She doesn't judge you based on appearances; she accepts you for you, flaws and all. But I guess you wouldn't know that, would you?"

Sudden comprehension dawned on her.

"So you're Alex, her roommate," she said, raking her gaze over his worried face.

"Yeah."

"What were you in for?" she asked knowing the answer. She just wanted to hear him say it.

It didn't take him long to answer.

"Suicide."

Mrs. Calloway's brown face paled a little at the way he confidently said it.

"Why did you place him in a room with my daughter? He has suicidal tendencies!"

"It was your daughter who reached out to me when I didn't know which way was up. I hate to say this, but you abandoning her when she needed _you_ has given her fierce sense of helping people that need it. But that only lasts until the person doesn't need it anymore. After she's done, she feels like she's useless."

Alex was about to say something else when the doctor walked through the door.

"I'm looking for the group that came in with Katie Calloway," he said.

Carter walked forward. "Here we are. How is she?"

Jack made her way over to Alex and reached for his hand.

"She's going to be fine. She was found right before her situation would have turned fatal. Who's idea was it to keep her warm but not too warm?"

"Me."

The doctor nodded his head. "Good thinking."

"Doctor, when can we see her?"

"Are you her mother?"

"Yes."

"She doesn't want to see you at this moment. She wants to see her, um, secret window? Who is that?"

Alex stepped forward. "That would be me as well."

"Follow me, please."

The doctor turned to walk back through the swinging doors that led to the rest of the hospital. One of the reasons why it took so long for them to see her was the fact they had moved her to another room. The walk didn't take long; Alex was standing outside of Katie's room before he knew it.

"I'll leave you to it."

Alex watched as the doctor returned to his previous task. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked in. He stood at the foot of her bed and sighed.

Katie was swamped with heating pads and blankets. Alex didn't know where she ended and the blankets began. He was about to walk out when she called his name.

"Alex."

"Hey, Katie," he said as he walked closer to her.

"Am I in the hospital?" she asked looking around.

"Yeah."

Alex sat down in the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his.

Knowing what was coming next, Katie looked at the opposite wall.

"Why did you run away, Katie?" Alex asked in a quiet voice.

"I wanted to spare you from the mess called My Life," she said.

"Bullshit."

"What do you want me to say?" she asked, turning to face him.

"The truth. You ran away because you let me in and you thought I would leave you."

Katie stared at the door.

"Right?" he asked with no answer. He shook her softly. "Right?"

"My mother never wanted me. She only kept me because Natasha thought I was a life-sized doll. Once she got out of the baby doll stage, my mom threw me over to nannies. I only saw her whenever I did something that coincided with Tasha's activities. I remember I did ballet and art and drama because Tasha did it. When Tasha moved to California, all pretense of loving me went out of the fucking window. It was then I decided to wild out. Parties, clubs, drinking, you name it, I did it. I never did drugs and I think that's the one thing my mom respects about me. Tasha left at 18, so I've practically been on my own since I was 11. Around my 16th birthday, I was an alcoholic. I drowned my sorrows in vodka straight from the bottle. Anything strong enough to knock me out in a couple of swigs became my best friend."

"Didn't your parents know what you were doing?"

"They knew, but they didn't care. Well, my dad did, but my mom's got him wrapped around her finger so he didn't put up much a fuss. One night, my dad found me barely breathing in my room surrounded by bottles. I guess he decided that enough was enough and that I wasn't going to grow out of my rebellion without help. The next day I woke up at the ORC."

They sat it silence for a moment.

"Can I ask you a question, Alex?"

"Yeah."

"Why did you come back? You are on the mend. Why come back to me and all my shit?"

"I found the letter your mom sent and I thought that you might need someone to stand by your side. I mean, you were there for me, why shouldn't be there for you?"

"So you came back only to settle a debt?" she scoffed.

Alex stopped to think before he screwed this conversation up. _'Why did I come back?' _he wondered.

"Yes and no. I came back because you were there for me when I needed someone. You didn't judge me or anything; you just called me on my crap and listened. You were a real friend, and I thought you might need a friend."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"I also came back because it's not my way to leave someone in a jam. I could tell that you needed to say something, you were just afraid to do so. I decided to hang around until you said what you needed to say. But I guess I didn't do such a great job."

He looked up to find her crying.

"Oh, Katie, don't cry," he said wiping away her tears.

"I knew running away was stupid. I just didn't want to start to care and you up and disappear. I saw how happy you were and I didn't want to ruin it. I've always felt like I wasn't wanted, but with you, I felt needed. You wanted me there with you and it broke my heart."

"I understand."

Katie took his hand in both of hers and sighed.

"Stay with me?"

"Of course. Move over. And this time, don't sleep on my arm. I couldn't feel it for at least five minutes the last time."

"Oh, shut it, Rider," she said with a smile.

* * *

Okay. Katie is fine, just like I knew she would be seeing as I wrote it. Heehee. Anway, there's two more chapters and an epilogue left. After that, I hope to start updating the sequel which I just finished a few nights ago. Yay! I'm working on something else as well, but I don't know about it just yet. I'm not feeling it. Anyways, I look forward to any reviews that will come my way so I can reply to them. I swear, I like answering reviews almost as much as I like writing the damn story. Weird huh? Until next time... -RC


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Katie woke up in a panic. Her arms and legs were trapped and there was something heavy draped across her waist. Looking down, she saw that it was an arm draped across her and she relaxed. It was Alex. She looked at his sleeping form and how the sun shined on him and smiled, wondering how she got so lucky.

"Staring at me won't make me get up any faster," he mumbled, opening an eye.

"I know," she said tracing the edge of his face with a fingertip. "It's just that you look so, what's the word, angelic in the morning."

The whole bed shook with their laughter.

"You are so full of shit," he said.

"But that's why you love me."

"Unfortunately."

"So what now?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Well," he said leaning on an elbow. "We've got that hearing in a few weeks, Christmas, and the future."

"_We've_ got a hearing in a few weeks?"

Rolling his eyes he replied, "How many times must I remind you, Katie?"

"I know, I know. I was just making sure you weren't going to chicken out on me."

Just then, a nurse walked in.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry. I hope I didn't walk in on anything," she stammered, red in the face, turning around to give them privacy.

Alex gave Katie a look before they fell out laughing.

"You didn't walk in on anything. I was just leaving," he said getting out of bed.

"You're leaving me?" Katie asked, mock serious.

"Of course. I need coffee and you need to talk to your doctor. You know where I'll be," he said as he walked out of the door.

888

In the waiting room, Jack and Tom were slouched in their chairs while Carter was staring out of the window. Alex felt the corner of his mouth lift in a small smile.

Jack was the first person to look up and see him. He saw the question in her eyes and quickly moved to sit next to her.

"The doctor didn't tell me anything but she's better," he said.

"How come you look so rested? I couldn't find a comfortable position in these damn chairs," Tom complained.

"That's because I didn't sleep in a chair," Alex replied.

Tom, with his mind having taken a permanent place in the gutter, perked up.

"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alex rolled his eyes.

"She's in a frickin hospital, man. And besides, she's my best friend, remember?"

"Whatever."

During their whole conversation, Jack had a knowing look on her face.

Turning around, Alex saw the look, but Jack composed her face.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing."

Just then, the doctor from last night walked over to them.

Standing up, Carter asked, "How is she?"

"She will be fine. We will like to keep her over night again to make sure all is well. I implore you to go home, get some rest, and come back later. Especially _you_, young man," the doctor said sending a pointed look in Alex's direction and Alex blushed a bit.

"We will doctor. How late are visiting hours?" Jack asked.

"Visiting hours last until 8. If anyone plans on spending the night," he paused for a moment to let the message sink in, "they will need permission to do so. Any other questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"I'll see you later then."

With one last look at Alex, the doctor excused himself.

Alex's small group put their coats on and gathered their belongings. Walking out into the winter air, they all pulled their coats on tighter.

"I'm going back to the center. What time do you want to meet back up?" Carter asked Jack as they all walked in the direction of the cars.

"How about 3 o'clock?"

"Sounds good," he said. Turning around to face Alex he said, "Get some rest, Rider."

"Will do."

Alex watched him get in his truck and drive away.

"Oi! Get your arse in this car or else, Rider!" Tom called from the passenger seat.

Alex shook his head as he got into Jack's car.

* * *

One more chapter before the epilogue! Yay! I'm going to warn you now, chapter twenty-one kinda goes by fast because a lot happens, sort of. Enough from me. I'm going to update the next chapter so you can see for yourself. Just know, you've been warned...


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

The next few days went by in a blur. Katie was released from the hospital and taken back to the ORC where she had some one on one time with Carter. She felt like crap after each session, but Alex was always there to cheer her up afterwards.

"Man, I'm so sorry for being so bitchy to you after each of your sessions. Damn, my feelings have been skewered and bar-b-cued," she told him one night on the phone. "I guess after not having true sessions for so long, I forgot."

"There are no hard feelings," Alex said with a laugh.

"How are things?" she asked.

Alex had been officially released from the ORC after she was released from the hospital.

"Things are good. Tom went back home. He wasn't too happy about it, though."

"Why not?"

"He wanted to stay longer to talk to this girl living next door to us."

Katie laughed. That was just like Tom. She had gotten to know him a little bit when Alex brought him along when he came to visit.

"How did he take rejection?" she asked around giggles.

"That's the weirdest thing. She actually said yes. They went out for a few nights before he left and one night, he didn't get in until after 5am."

"No way! What did she see in him?"

"She had just broken up with her boyfriend and she needed a distraction, I guess."

There was a brief period of silence. Katie could here noise on the other end of the line and wondered what Alex was doing. To her, it sounded like everything was going back to normal for him. Shaking her head to break that train of thought, she decided to change the subject.

"Hey, Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"The hearing."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think I can win. My mother is a psycho bitch and she's gonna do something. I know it. Alex, I didn't think things through. I'm not going to have anywhere to go. I'm not going to have any money. I just jumped without thinking of the consequences..." she stopped talking, afraid.

"Katie, you told the judge what you told me, and he said he's going to take your side into consideration. Now, I don't know the outcome of this but we'll find out together, okay?"

"Okay. But what about having some place to live? My mom wants to take away my trust fund. It's not like I care, but I can't support myself."

"Katie, my house is huge. If you want, you can come live with me in England."

"Alex, passports and visas take forever," she protested, trying to crush her rising hope.

"I've got connections, love, remember? I can ask them for a permanent visa if you want. It's your choice."

"What about money?" she asked playing her last card in her wavering defense.

"Katie, we can figure that out later. Can we just live in the moment for a second?"

Katie thought about it and realized that she already had her answer.

"Yes. I want to come with you," she said knowing that she would follow him anywhere.

"Alright. I'll call them now," he said.

Katie could hear how happy he was.

"Thanks, Alex."

"No problem. Besides, what are friends for?"

888

Before either of them knew it, December 12th was staring them in the face. The day of the hearing, Alex met Katie on the courthouse steps. Despite the occasion, she looked good. He shook his head when she saw the three inch heels she was wearing. _Women and their heels_, he thought.

"How are you holding up?" he inquired.

"Not too good," she said giving him a hug, while discreetly checking him out. "Did you talk to Mrs. Jones?"

"Yeah. She said everything will be done in a few days. Why?"

"Just curious," she said taking a good look around. If she hadn't been so nervous, she would have found the building quite impressive. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

They entered the building and quickly jogged up the steps to the second floor. Alex felt Katie tense when she saw her parents sitting outside of the court room. He saw how she plastered a fake smile on her face as she led him to the bench directly across the hall from them.

They only had to wait for a few moments but those moments felt like eternity to Alex. The animosity Mrs. Calloway felt for her daughter was coming off her in waves. Alex didn't understand how Mr. Calloway didn't feel it.

The judge's assistant poked her head out of a doorway. She looked just as nervous as Katie.

"Judge Jones is ready to see you now," she said in a high voice.

The Calloways got up from their seats quickly. Mrs. Calloway didn't even spare a glance in her daughter's direction, but Mr. Calloway showed the briefest sign of remorse.

Before they got up, Alex gave Katie's hand a brief squeeze. When they entered the room, the judge was sitting behind a huge mahogany desk. In front of said desk were six chairs: three for the Calloways and their lawyer, who was absent, and three for Katie, her lawyer, and a guest. As soon as everyone was seated, the judge spoke.

"We are here to discuss the emancipation of Katherine Calloway from her parents, Travis and Mariah Calloway, correct?"

For some odd reason, Judge Jones reminded Alex of Alan Blunt. Physically, they did not look alike but their mannerisms were similar. Judge Jones looked like he had been doing his job for at least a century. He had that bored look about him signifying that he knew what he was doing. The only other difference between them was that Judge Jones seemed to honestly care about what happened to those that ended up sitting before him, whereas Blunt didn't give a shit.

Slightly shaking his head, Alex reminded himself that he was there for Katie and that he needed to get out of the past and focus on the present. At the moment, Jones was outlining the legal procedures that went along with emancipation: Katie would have to find some place to live as well as finding someway to provide for herself.

"Miss Calloway, have you thought of what you might do if I awarded your emancipation to you?" he asked in a monotone.

"Yes, I have."

"What are your future plans?"

"If all goes well, I hope to receive a permanent visa so I may reside in England. Once I get settled, I plan on attending a community college and finding a job."

"Where will you be living?"

Before Katie could answer, her mother interrupted.

"Probably in some halfway house in the slums getting high and passing out in the gutter."

"Mrs. Calloway, please refrain from answering questions that are not directed to you," he said turning his dull blue eyes on her. "Miss Calloway?"

"I will be living with my friend," she said.

"Which friend?"

"This friend," she said using her free hand to indicate Alex.

It seemed that this was the first time the judge realized that someone was sitting next to Katie besides her court appointed lawyer.

"Ah, young man. How do you propose to take care of Miss Calloway?"

Surprised at being put on the spot like that and the fact that he was going to "take care of Katie", Alex looked at her for a brief second before replying.

"I have a house that my uncle left to me when he died. Everything else that he left me is in a trust until I turn 21, but I have a guardian that takes care of things for me."

"So what happens when this guardian leaves?"

"I take sole responsibility."

"Can you efficiently run a house and all that it entails?"

"Yes, sir."

Alex could tell that the judge was impressed and he had to stop himself from feeling too smug.

"Mrs. Calloway, why are you fighting this emancipation?"

"She needs to be looked after. Her running away proves this. I have another facility in mind that is better equipped to help her," she said.

"I would have thought that you wanted nothing more to do with your daughter. It says here that your husband took it upon himself to seek help for your daughter. Is this not true?"

"That is true."

"Is it also true that once your oldest daughter, Natasha, left for California, you stopped pretending to care for Katherine?"

"I... it's true," she said.

"Mr. Calloway, is there anything else you would like to add?"

"Yes. I would like to ask you to allow Katie to keep her trust fund since she is moving so far away."

"Okay. I have made my decision," the judge said.

The grip Katie had on Alex's hand increased until it was almost unbearable. Alex took his free hand and placed it on top of her hand and she got the message.

"Miss Calloway, I grant you emancipation from Mr. and Mrs. Calloway. The proper documentation will take a few weeks to be processed so I would advise you to stay in the state of New York until then. If there is anything else that needs to be asked, my assistant will call you. You may go."

Without further ado, Judge Jones stood up, which gave those sitting down the message to stand up also, and left out of his office. After the door closed, Katie turned watery eyes to Alex and gave him a huge hug.

"You did it, Katie," he whispered in her ear. "You did it."

On the other side of the room, Mariah Calloway was collecting her belongings. As she moved past her daughter, she gave her a frosty glare.

"You have until the emancipation is final to remove your things or else they get thrown out."

Travis watched his wife march purposely out of the office with a sad look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Katie. I hope that maybe we can move past this in the future. Keep in touch?"

"I'll try, Daddy," she said.

"Do you mind if I talk to your friend for a moment?" he asked.

Katie looked between her dad and Alex before shrugging. She grabbed her stuff and walked out of the office.

"Alex is it?" he inquired.

"Yes, sir."

"I don't know what the relationship is between you and my daughter and I probably don't have any right asking you this, but do right by her, okay? Even if what's going on is the complete opposite of what I think, just don't leave her the way I did. I can tell that she's finally learned to trust again and I'm glad that it's you that she trusts."

"Don't worry, sir. You have my word," Alex said, slightly red in the face at the implication that he and Katie were more than friends.

"That's all I ask," he said before walking out of the office.

Alex stood in the middle of the room for a brief second. Was there something that he was missing? Everyone seemed to see something but him. Shaking his head, he put on his coat and scarf and walked out of the door.

Katie was waiting for him out in the hall.

"What did my dad say to you?"

"He just wanted me to look out for you," he said putting his arm around her shoulders.

"And he needed privacy for that?" she asked skeptically.

"I guess. You hungry?"

"Starved. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, there is this Italian spot in Little Italy that Jack told me about. Wanna check it out?"

"Sure."

Nodding, Alex took her gloved hand in his and they walked out into the freezing air together.

* * *

Awwww. Nice conclusion, ain't it? Heehee. Anyway, I have a confession to make: I don't exactly know how the emancipation process works. I got this idea from the season of One Tree Hill when Nathan decides to get emancipated from his parents from hell. Personally, I had no hard feelings against Deb, it was his father that I hate. GROWLS Enough about him because I can rant and rave on that man for hours. Anyways. The epilogue is next before the sequel comes up. I titled it Open Window and it should be up by this weekend after I manage to write a summary that I like. Ugh. Tootles! RC


	22. Epilogue

Here it finally is. The conclusion to my first ever Alex Rider fanfic! It's also the conclusion of my very first original fanfic as well. Celebration anyone? Lol.

* * *

Epilogue: A few months later

"Alex, the phone is ringing. Could you get it?"

Getting up from his position on the sofa, which had become his new bed since Katie had taken his room, Alex got up to answer the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Alex, is that you?"

"Mrs. Jones?"

"Yes. Miss Calloway's visa is ready and she can pick it up when she gets here. All of her things have been successfully shipped to your house and are currently waiting in your den."

Smiling, Alex replied, "Thanks, Mrs. Jones."

"There's one more thing. I know we used to promise you a vacation where you would have to do nothing and I know that those promises fell through."

"Many times," Alex muttered.

"We would like to make it up to you. We are sending you and Miss Calloway to the Virgin Islands for three weeks this summer. You will be leaving New York in a few weeks and when the vacation is over, you will be coming straight to England."

"What's the catch?" he asked.

"There is no catch. You said you were done with us and this is just a farewell gift. No strings."

"Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief.

"Absolutely, so I suggest that you go do some shopping."

"What about Jack?"

"Miss Starbright has expressed some interest to visit Paris this summer."

"Wow."

"I have one more bit of news. If you so choose, you and Miss Calloway can go to a 4 year university of your choice."

Alex was so surprised that he had to sit down.

"Alex?"

"I'm here; it's just a lot to take in."

"I completely understand. Take all the time you need to think about it; you have all summer."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. After all, you deserve it."

Alex stared at the phone after Mrs. Jones hung up. Katie walked around the corner wearing one of his football jerseys with a pair of his gym shorts. Raising an eyebrow, he watched as she walked over to him.

"Who was that?" she asked sitting next to him.

"Mrs. Jones."

"What did she want?"

"Apparently, we will be going to the Virgin Islands this summer."

"Who is _we_?" she asked.

"Us. Me and you."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Wow."

"That's exactly what I said and that's not all."

Katie raised an eyebrow.

"If we want, we can go to a 4 year university of our choice when we get back to England."

"Oh my God."

"Yep."

"You're the best, you know that?"

"Yep."

"Conceited much?"

"Very. So conceited in fact, that I am curious as to why you must wear my clothes?"

"I like your clothes better than mine. They're very comfortable."

"I see. I have a suggestion," he said in mock thought. "Your clothes could be comfortable too if you didn't buy them so _tight_."

Katie stood up at slapped him on the arm, feigning hurt.

"Don't you want me to look good for the hotties in England?"

"Oh God, what did I do wrong to deserve women like you and Jack?" he moaned.

"If you weren't my friend, I would punch you in the face right now."

"What are guy friends for?"

* * *

I know I end a lot of my chapters with that phrase and many variations of that phrase but it really ties in with the story. Anyway, I wonder if anyone caught the heavily dropped hints revolving around certain people? Hmm. Shall we infer that this might be the central theme of the next story with an added twist? Until next time, perhaps? -RC


End file.
